


Across The Galaxy: Obi-Wan's Guide To Child Adoption

by Bryn_Delgado



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Children, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Mandalorian Adoption (Star Wars), Mandalorian Armor (Star Wars), Mandalorian Obi-Wan Kenobi (technically), Not Beta Read, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Raises A Lot Of Kids, Obi-Wan Kenobi Raises Luke Skywalker, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Luke Skywalker, Protective Obi-Wan Kenobi, Protective clones, Tags May Change, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel, Tired Obi-Wan Kenobi, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 31,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26953306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bryn_Delgado/pseuds/Bryn_Delgado
Summary: It seemed to Obi-Wan that all hope was lost. The Republic is destroyed, the Order eliminated, Anakin has Fallen and Padmé has died, leaving two tiny children orphaned. All he has to do is get Luke to safety and his task will be done. But it looks like Obi-Wan’s destined not only for infinite sadness but also to make as many rush decisions as he could. With young Luke in tow, he is ready to start a new life, hidden away on the most dreadful planet in the Galaxy. He won’t back down, no matter that.Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and his fellow clone troopers wake up in a desert with no memory of how they ended up there. The last thing they remember is a flash of light from an artifact in an ancient Temple. Now they have to find out where the Force brought them this time and why, meet old acquaintances, make new friends and save the Galaxy in between. The usual Zhellday.
Relationships: 212th Attack Battalion & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Luke Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 117
Kudos: 887





	1. One – Luke

**Author's Note:**

> Disclamer: I do not own any rights on Star Wars' characters, the universe, names, and so on and I'm not trying to make money.  
> So, here's the promised tired space dad Obi-Wan and his best friend caf. There's just not enough fics about him. I'm fixing it. Enjoy)

**_The first one was Luke._ **

_It had taken Obi-Wan two days to reach Tatooine and he did not put little Luke down for longer than an hour. He looked at him, noted familiar features, trying to guess which ones belonged to Padmé and which ones to Anakin. (And did not that thought hurt) Obi-Wan soothed Luke when he cried and wrapped him in the Force, making the baby project his excitement so strongly, it even made Obi-Wan smile for the first time since Utapau._

_Bail had promised to take care of Leia and Obi-Wan had full intention to give Luke to Owen and Beru. The twins would be safe._

_But…_

_But he had stepped out of the ship, looked at the farm in the distance, then down at the tiny squirming bundle in his arms and realized that he could not do it. Luke was the only one left from his family (not counting Yoda since the old troll had wandered off to who knows where) it just felt wrong to give him to some unknown people. Even if they were related to Anakin. What did he even know about them? Would they want to take a child? And what if they turned out to be cruel? How could people who never so much seen what a Force-sensitive was capable of, raise one so strong? Call it attachment, stubbornness or whatever you want, Obi-Wan had made a decision. He tightened his hold on Luke, turned away from the looming building and went into town._

_(And if deep down in his soul Obi-Wan hoped that Anakin would have wanted him to raise his child, well, no one needed to know that)_

_He spent two weeks securing a hut in the desert. Not too far away from civilization but not close to it either. If Luke was as powerful as his father (and Obi-Wan was sure he was even stronger, he shone so bright…) when it would show pretty early. And he couldn’t allow it to be seen. There would be no way to explain levitating rocks or exploding mugs. Younglings always struggled with their control over the Force. And if someone made a connection, they might sell them to the Empire._

_During the next three mouths Obi-Wan thanked every deity he knew for Yoda being so pushy. If it weren’t for him, Obi-Wan would not have spent his fair share of free time in the Crèche with Younglings and would not have a single clue of how to take care of one._

_Now it was an easy task. He did not even mind waking up too late in night or too early in the morning. He had gotten quite used to it during the war. Various reports kept him up in odd hours. And the Separatists did not send them notifications about their new attack. So waking up due to a loud noise making his ears want to run away was not a new experience._

_It was a struggle to get supplies, since Obi-Wan did not have any credits and they were not accepted here anyway. And he could not get himself a job, not wanting to leave Luke in care of some stranger. But the Force helped him once again._

_During his wondering in the desert he had stumbled upon a cave hidden too good for most species to notice it. Obi-Wan would have missed it too if not for insisting nudges from the Force._

_The cave entrance was in a gorge, practically six feet down from the edge. Even the most inveterate daredevils would not dare to go there. Especially if they weren’t paid for it. But Obi-Wan was always curious. And considering the fact that the Force directed him there, he simply could not ignore its call._

_Luke was sleeping peacefully in his sling on Obi-Wan’s chest, bundled snugly into the cooling cloth to keep him from overheating. Obi-Wan envied him slightly. He himself was draped into many layers which had no resemblance to his Jedi robes. He did not expect to miss them so much. Obi-Wan shook his head, checked whether the sling was holding tight. Satisfied, he dared to descend._

_Using the vibroblade (It was a present from his battalion, after he had lost his ‘saber for twelfth time. Boil looked so smug then he gave it to him. The troopers cheered. Cody pretended to be indifferent but Obi-Wan knew he was pleased too. And it made it even more painful to look at the blade without Obi-Wan’s heart feeling like a light breeze would shutter it) he carefully slid down the gorge’s side and gave himself a little Force push to land right in the cave._

_He stayed crouching, keeping his hold over the blade and surveyed the cave. It was dark and dry. The limited light from the blade allowed Obi-Wan to see very little. The walls were cracked and there was sand on the floor. There was no trace of local fauna. But something still bothered Obi-Wan. He inched his head, straining his ears to hear at least something. Nothing._

_Any other time it would have made Obi-Wan suspicious. But the Force was quiet and the cave did not feel dangerous. Only… curious?_

_Obi-Wan frowned, slowly getting up on his feet. He was about to take a step forward then something nudged his mind. He looked down and meet innocent blue eyes. Luke was watching him with curiosity, reaching out to him throughout the Force and with his tiny hand. Obi-Wan smiled at him, holding his own hand for Luke. Small fingers firmly curled themselves over his middle finger. Obi-Wan chuckled. Luke delight buzzed in the Force._

_There was a change in the atmosphere around them. Obi-Wan raised his head and turned off the blade, plunging the cave into darkness. But it was not for long. On the walls, on the floor, and even on the ceiling of the cave, hundreds of flickering dots appeared right in front of the awed Obi-Wan. Slowly, they grew, turning flowers into amazingly beautiful flowers._

_Obi-Wan took a step closer, bending down to examine the nearest blossom._

_It was not big, slightly smaller than Obi Wan’s fist. The shade of it reminded Obi-Wan of the dark moonless sky on Yavin IV, when the stars shine brightest. The flower was shaped like a ball, numerous delicate petals curled around its center._

_And the smell was magnificent._

_Luke reached out to touch it but Obi-Wan gently caught his hand, pressing a soft kiss to it._

_“Don’t touch it, little one. We were allowed only to look, would not be polite to overstep the boundaries.”_

_Obi-Wan could swear the Force laughed at him._

_With one last parting glance at the glowing flowers, Obi-Wan turned around. He still needed to figure out how to get back to the top of the gorge._

_Two days later he learned the name of the flowers._

_**Dinera-leus.** The glow of hope. _

_Their petals had great healing ability and healers were ready to pay a lot for even one flower._

_Obi-Wan did not hesitate for long. The Force showed him the cave for a reason. And he would use the given opportunity wisely._

_Looking at the raising Tatooine suns, Obi-Wan let himself hope._

***

Anakin groaned trying to get his arms to cooperate and lift him up. His head was pounding like something had hit him. Hard. He curled into himself, wincing when the move jostled him and the pain doubled. Anakin reached out to the Force and his breath hitched, eyes flying open in shock. There was so much Darkness around him, it was almost suffocating. Anakin had never felt anything like that. Sure, during the last few years the Force darkened significantly but this…

Frantically, Anakin widened his reach, searching for familiar force signatures. He could not be alone here, he just cou- There! Rex and Commander Cody were nearby as well as a couple of troopers from 212th. But Obi-Wan was nowhere to be found. What the kriff?..

After two minutes Anakin finally sat up and braved a look around. He was sitting on a sand (ugh, why?! Why?) dune, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Rex was lying flat on his back to Anakin’s right. He seemed unharmed and the Force confirmed it. Commander was sprawled on his side to his left. His bucket fell off, letting Anakin see his face. The troopers were lying next to their Commander. Anakin was not sure who exactly they were. His head was hurting almost as bad as that one time he fell from the speeder and it was making it hard to think.

He gritted his teeth touching the troopers’ signatures. They were alright, just asleep. Anakin let out a sigh of relief. Everyone was fine. Well, as fine as you can be, waking up on an unknown planet in a desert. Especially if you previously were on Actlyon. Don’t get him wrong, it was very nice to get away from that nasty smelling dirt-ball but Anakin preferred leaving planets on his own accord and _remembering_ it.

Anakin stood up and stumbled toward Rex, dropping down on his knees next to him. He shook him a little. The Captain groaned, batting his hand away. He tilted his head to look at Anakin. “What the hell happened to my head?” He growled, sitting up with Anakin’s help.

Anakin snorted. “If you are talking, then you’re fine. You see anything?” He asked nodding at Rex’ visor. The Captain shook his head. He took off his bucket, hitting it a couple of times.

“Something fired it.” He muttered angrily, scanning their surroundings with quick eyes and turned back to look at Anakin.

“Any thoughts on where the hell are we and how we got here?” He asked bluntly, standing up on wobbly legs. Anakin shook his head, running a hand over his hair.

“No idea. I’m the first one to wake up and it happened literally just a few minutes ago. And my memory is kinda fuzzy.” Judging by the grimace he got from Rex, his Captain had holes in his memory too. He threw Rex’s arm other his shoulder, stabilizing the man and helped him hobble over to his brothers.

“Cody?” Rex called while reaching down to feel the pulse. Anakin felt him relax a bit upon finding it, so he scrambled away to check the other two troopers. “Come on, wake up, you’re not a princess to sleep all day.” Rex grumbled, shaking the Commander. He woke up with a moan of pain, clutching his head.

“Rex? What the- did I get drunk and made a bet with Wolffe that I can break the wall with my head?” Rex snorted, clapping Cody on the back.

“Nope. At least not this time.” He informed the clone with a smirk.

Cody shoot him a nasty glare but took Rex’s extended hand and stood up. Anakin was helping Peel take off his bucket since something in it broke and it got stuck. The other trooper – Crys – happily stretched on the ground, breathing deeply. “Ooooh, sweet Force, fresh air! I thought I would never smell you again!” He exclaimed dramatically, making Anakin and Peel laugh. Rex hid a smirk and Cody only shook his head a little.

“Peel, Crys, you alright?” He asked, quickly assessing their armor for new scratches or holes. When he found none, he did the same with Rex, ignoring his displeased grumble.

“Yep. Never been better.” Crys replied cheerfully from his place on the sand. Peel snorted, poking Crys’ arm with a tip of his boot.

“I’m fine, Commander.” He said, jumping back a little when Crys tried to hit him in the ankle. “But where is the rest of the company? And General Kenobi?” The trooper asked, frowning then his comm showed that it could not reach anyone from 212th or 501st. He tried a few different channels but the result was the same. Anakin’s face fell, as he observed Peel’s struggles.

“Alright, men. What is the last thing you remember?” Anakin questioned grimly, and reached out to take the comm from Peel.

“There was that rumor about a possible Sith temple on Actlyon. We were sent to check it.” Crys responded immediately, sitting up. Rex nodded, frowning in concentration.

“We rendezvoused with 212th and General Kenobi took command.” He recalled, looking at Cody for confirmation. The Commander inched his head, thinking.

“We camped near the ruins. General Kenobi selected several troopers to accompany us, ordering the rest to stand guard.” Cody said, looking around, searching for the rest of his men. "Wooley, Threepwood, Boil, Fives and Coric were with us.” His tone was calm but Rex could hear the underline of worry in it.

Anakin frowned at the comm, rubbing the back of his head in frustration. “Well, they are not here now. I think we got separated?” He offered helplessly, shrugging and giving up on the comm, deeming it a lost cause.

“Yep.” Crys cheered from the ground. “When we entered the ruins, General Kenobi took the rest with him and walked to the left. We went to the right.” The trooper snorted. “I heard Fives and Wooley were bickering so hard, Boil had to drag them away by their ears so they would not interfere with the General’s research.”

Anakin snickered. “Alright, we’ve got this part clear. But why were you with us?” He turned to Cody. “Aren’t you always two steps behind Obi-Wan?” Anakin jested the stoic Commander.

Cody raised an eyebrow. “The General asked me to watch over you.” He replied steadily. Anakin sputtered but Cody ignored him. “And he especially clarified that you are not to touch anything.” He said with a pointed look. An offended expression appeared on Anakin’s face. He crossed his arms and huffed.

“I did not touch it! The thing just started glowing when I came near!” Anakin protested loudly. He was subjected to four unimpressed stares. Recoiling a bit under their intensity, Anakin shifted. “Well, I, umm. I might have poked it? Just a little!” He rushed to say. Commander Cody folded his arms and leveled him a flat look. Anakin fidgeted with a hem of his tunic, then dropped it abruptly. He looked up and rubbed his temple. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. We need to figure out where we are and find a way to contact the Council, seeing that our comms don’t work.” The Jedi pondered, glaring at the device like it had personally offended him.

A chorus of exasperated ‘Sir, yes, sir’ from the troopers echoed his statement. Anakin nodded, satisfied. He looked around; his enthusiasm dimmed a bit. “Sooo, any idea which way we should go?” He was not looking forward to the track through the desert. Ugh, and the sand, the sand! And the blazing headache did not lessen, making Anakin grit his teeth and push the pain away.

Peel looked around and shrugged. “Take your pick, sir, I don’t think it matters. We’re in the middle of nowhere.” He tried to shake the sand out of his bucket, ignoring the futility of it. Rex frowned, watching Anakin intensely.

“Can’t you sense the way?” The Captain questioned. Anakin’s face fell and he bit his lip.

Shaking his head slowly, the Jedi tried to explain. "I… Something is wrong with the Force here. It is too Dark. And I’m not sure if it I should announce my presence.” Anakin glanced over to the horizon, watching the seemingly endless desert. Something nudged his mind, some clue he could not grasp was slipping right through his fingers like the damn sand.

He wiped his brow angrily. It was too kriffing hot here. He had not felt so hot since he left-

Anakin froze. No. it could not be… Slowly, he raised his head up and looked at the sky. He stared in disbelief at the two familiar suns of the planet he had vowed never to set foot on again.

“Tatooine." Anakin rasped, his throat suddenly dry. “We are on Tatooine.”

Crys wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Ugh. We exchanged a dirt-ball for a dust-ball. Great.” He huffed, throwing an arm over his eyes.

Peel looked curiously at Anakin. “How do you know? Have you been here before?” The trooper tilted his head, dump hair plastered all over his face.

Anakin turned away sharply. “I was born here.” Was his curt answer as he started walking briskly, wanting to be done with this conversation. The mountains in the distance clued him about their location. “I recognize this place now. If we go this way, we’ll reach the city by the end of the day.” He announced, not even pausing to face the troopers.

The clones glanced at each other, shrugged and moved after the Jedi. Crys groaned dramatically and heaved up to his feet with Peel’s help. He patted his shoulder in thanks and placed his bucket back on his head.

Anakin was silent, his shoulders tense. He did not once take his eyes off the path he had set. Too many thoughts swirled in his head. Most of them unpleasant and painful memories. He tried to distract himself by focusing on his men. Rex and Cody walked right after him, Peel and Crys a few steps behind them. Crys was whistling some carefree tune, pouncing a little. Peel looked around, scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger. Cody and Rex were talking quietly, too low to be overheard. Anakin closed his eyes, took a deep breath and pressed on.

They walked for two hours before Anakin suddenly halted on top of one dune. He gasped, his eyes became glazed. The Light he felt was fleeing from his reach. The Force around him swirled but he chased the sensation nonetheless. Something inside Anakin told him it was important. He just could not understand why yet and it frustrated him. The Light blinked out and Anakin growled.

Rex stopped as well, reaching out for his blaster with one hand. They worked together long enough to understand each other without words. And Rex reacted instantly, knowing by now that this particular look meant danger. “General?” He started. “Where’s it?” The rest of the troopers caught up quickly, Peel and Crys dropped down on one knee blasters out and ready to fire. Cody took position behind Anakin, covering his back.

Rex inched closer to Anakin who still did not say a word, staring blankly into the distance. “Sir?” The Captain called quietly, giving Anakin a sidelong glance. He was ignored.

Abruptly, Anakin’s hand flew up to his head. He gasped and swayed in place. Rex deftly caught him, holding him upright. “General!” Rex exclaimed worriedly. Anakin waved his hand at Rex, scowling.

“I’m fine, Rex.” He muttered, righting himself. “This place is just kriffing with my head.” Rex gave him a disbelieving look. Anakin rolled his eyes, huffing. “Really, Rex, have a little faith in me.” He complained with and gave the clone his best winning smile.

“I always have faith in you. Just not when it concerns your well-being.” Rex said with a deadpan. Anakin gasped in mock outrage, clutching his heart dramatically.

“Sir, did you find anything useful?” Cody cut in before the two of them started wrestling. Anakin momentarily sobered, all mirth fleeing from his eyes.

He glanced in the direction from which the sense of Light had come. “I’m not sure…” Anakin said slowly. This whole situation was bizarre. “But I can swear that I felt Obi-Wan’s presence for a moment. I just can’t figure out why he is hiding from me.” Anakin growled in frustration. Cody frowned, lowering his blaster but gestured for Crys and Peel to stay on guard.

“If General Kenobi _is_ somewhere here, then he is most likely moving towards civilization.” The Commander mused. Crys nodded in agreement. “So if we want to find him we should keep moving.” Cody concluded, looking at Anakin for final decision.

The Jedi furrowed his brow, staring down at the sand. “I suppose you are right, Commander.” He admitted after a moment. Anakin looked up at the sky again and groaned. “That’s why I hate this place.” He muttered, swiping his dump hair away from his face, glaring at two blazing suns. Turning around, he stalked forward, throwing up his hood. “Come on, we don't have all day.”

By the end of the day they reached a big city. “Mos Eisley. The home for the society’s worst scum.” Anakin announced grimly. And promptly started stripping down his Jedi robes, earning himself questioning looks from the troopers. With a sigh he explained: “These people have no moral principles. They will do everything for money. In less than five minutes after we enter, the half of the city will sell us to the Separatists without a second thought.”

“Sooo, you’re saying we need to stop being recognizable?” Crys asked doubtfully. “And how do you propose we do that? I mean,” he gestured between himself and Peel, “look at us! If not our armor, then our faces will give us away, because who are we? That’s right - clones. Only someone blind will not recognize us.” Crys exclaimed. Then frowned, distracted. “Although, I can’t be sure about that. With all this crap that happens to us on regular basis-”

“Crys.” Cody said sternly. The trooper swiftly closed his mouth. “While your point is valid,” the Commander started calmly, “it is not a good reason to start panicking. Plus, we all don’t have to go into the city. If the situation is indeed as General Skywalker described it, then it would be wise not to reveal our cards right away.” He looked considerably at the city. “General, I think, as the only person familiar with the area and locals, you should go. Take Crys and Rex with you. They can pass for twins. Peel and I will find some shelter and wait for you here.” Cody proposed, nodding toward the nearest cliffs. Anakin looked up from the boot he was taking off and nodded.

“A sound plan, Commander. All we have to do is disguise ourselves.” He said cheerfully, dropping the boot. A wicked smirk appeared on his face as he eyed Rex.

The Captain narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like that look.” He declared gruffly. Anakin’s smirk grew.

“Oh, come on, Rex. Just take off your armor and let me work my magic.” He persuaded. Rex looked at Cody.

“I want my memorial made from R2.” Cody nodded, ignoring Anakin’s outraged ‘Hey!’ and reached out to take Rex’s chest-plate.

“Deal. But only if you make mine from Grievous.” Cody asked in turn. Rex whistled.

“Go big or go home, right?” He nagged Cody, while struggling to take off his belt. “Aren’t you afraid that your request will turn against you and bite you in the ass? What if he’s radioactive or something and your corpse will rise from the grave and terrorize the surrounding area giving poor souls it had caught lectures about droid rights?” Rex wondered out loud, with a wicked smirk.

Cody gave Rex his best flat look. “Would not be my problem.” Crys snorted, dumping his bucket into Peel’s waiting hands. He bended down to take off his boot.

“Have you ever thought about becoming a comedian after the war, Commander? I am sure you will be a hit.” Crys asked mock serious. Peel huffed shoving the armor pieces into his bag.

“Right, as if our Commander would want to be so far away from General Kenobi.” The trooper uttered under his breath. Crys snickered. Cody leveled them both a murderous glare which sent shinies covering in fear but had no effect whatsoever over these two.

Anakin loudly clapped his hands and took a step back from Rex. “All done!” He declared with a proud expression.

Rex took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for the worst, and asked in a tired tone: “On a scale of a smuggler from Coruscant lower levels to Ohnaka, how creepy do I look?”

Cody actually paused, thinking, while Peel and Crys tried to suppress their laughter, making Anakin gasp in faux offend. “You have no fashion sense!” He condemned the clones in an overdramatic tone.

“Said a guy who wears the same clothes all his life.” Peel muttered lowly.

“And whose girlfriend needs an army of handmaids just to fit into a dress.” Crys backed him up just as quietly and the pair snickered until Cody shushed them with a stern look.

“It’s not that bad.” Cody argued lightly. Rex gave him a sceptic look. The corner of Commander’s mouth twitched up in a smirk. “You just look like a dirty pile of trash a Bantha had chewed up and spat out.” He added in a perfectly even tone without betraying his amusement. Rex groaned dropping his face into his hands.

Anakin rolled his eyes, wrapping a piece of cloth that he had torn from his tabard over his head to protect it from the sun and to hide his face. “He looks perfect for our venture.” Peel raised an eyebrow and considered Rex’s appearance dubiously.

Anakin had done impossible with limited resources. Over the blacks Rex wore he had wrapped pieces of his own tunics in such a way that it was now impossible to determine who or what was under all these layers. It masked Rex’s figure and physique perfectly, as well as the number of weapons he had on his person. A few grenades, several vibroblades and his blaster.

Rex glared at his General but Anakin gave him no mind. He was trying to catch Crys who was doing his best to avoid Anakin by hiding behind Peel and Commander Cody. “Come on, trooper, you can’t run forever!” Anakin tried to appeal to the clone. Crys made a considering noise.

“Nothing prevents me from trying.” He countered, peeking at Anakin from behind Peel. He yelped suddenly when Cody gripped him by his ear and dragged out of his hiding place. Anakin rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Ten minutes later all three were unrecognizable. Anakin smirked proudly and turned around, starting his trek toward the city. “Come on, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can get out.” He said with faux cheer. Rex and Crys dutifully trailed after their Jedi.

Cody shook his head, gathering the rest of the ammunition and followed Peel, who was marching toward the cliffs. They found a semi-comfortable looking nook and hid there.

All the time they were waiting for the ‘scouting party’ to return, Peel was trying to readjust the comm to get at least some sort of signal. Cody glanced at him from time to time, while mostly watching the surroundings.

It’s been two hours before Cody noticed a movement on his right. He shifted a little to get a better view but overwise gave no indication that he had seen anything. The person moved closer. They were cautious, slowly climbing over the cliffside, closer to the two troopers.

Peel finally put down the comm with a frustrated sigh and flopped down on the sand. “This is hopeless.” He muttered. “I have no idea why it is not working, since everything is in order. No fried parts, no sand inside, nothing!” Peel ranted, ruffling his own hair with a groan. Cody hummed in leu of answer, still tracking the small figure. Peel seemed to notice it and froze for a bit, before relaxing.

 _‘A threat?’_ He signed casually, making it look like he was just flexing his fingers.

 _‘Possibly, keep an eye on it.’_ Cody replied. He did not know much about locals but he heard enough about Jawas from Skywalker and his astromech to know that those little desert rats always meant trouble. He gripped his blaster tighter and forced himself to stay still. No need to provoke them.

“Are you stormtrupes?” A young sounding voice suddenly chimed in. Cody almost jumped in surprise. He looked up and saw what seemed to be a little humanoid boy dangling down from the cliffside above them. Cody relaxed a little. It was just a child, not a Jawa. Peel cocked his head up to look at the kid, Cody followed his example.

The kid was dressed in a light tunic and had a scarf wrapped around his head. The lower half of his face was hidden behind it too, so Cody only saw curious blue eyes which looked between him and Peel with interest. He did not seem afraid so it was a plus.

“What’s a stormtrooper?” Peel asked in return. The kid scrunched their nose.

“Dunno. Uncle Ben said they are Imperial army. They wear white armor and have blasters just like you! But uncle said they’re dangerous and you don’t seem dangerous so you can’t be str- strom- eh, storm-troop-ers.” The kid finally said, beaming at them. Then he tilted his head. “Who are you?” He asked again.

Cody shared a helpless look with Peel. Did this kid have no self-preservation? “No, we are not stormtroopers.” Cody told the kid, carefully weighing his words. “We are simple mercenaries.” He finally decided on a legend. The kid did not seem discouraged by this.

He gasped and almost fell down. “Really? Have you seen the space? Do you have a spaceship? Can I see it? Do you have a droid? I do have Buddy, but he does not count since he is not really mine. Can I touch your armor? It looks so wizard!” The kid rumbled, sliding down the cliff and landing next to Cody. The clones were a little taken aback by the sheer enthusiasm. They did not interact with natborn shinies often and mostly those were Jedi shinies and well, they were slightly different from that Cody had heard.

The kid was hanging off Peel now, chatting a mile a minute, asking questions about his blaster and actually waited for answers. He seemed really interested and then he saw Peel’s comm, he squeaked in delight and asked to take a closer look. With the kid successfully distracted, Cody decided to mull over the new information.

There was some kind of Empire here, with an army and enough money to outfit them with plastoid armor. They certainly were dangerous. Cody was glad that Skywalker insisted on disguising. He did not want to think that might have happened if they had just walked into the town.

Speak of the Devil. The sounds of multiple footsteps and groans reached Cody. He stood up and peeked out of their hiding place. Skywalker was frowning and leading Rex and Crys who carried three packs toward them. Cody saluted and let them pass inside. He would have to ask if they found anything later.

It was an indication of how deep Anakin was thinking that he didn’t immediately notice an outsider in their camp. Rex raised an eyebrow at Cody then the kid waved at them in greeting. Cody shrugged and took one pack from him. Rex rolled his eyes and bended down, hands on his knees, to look kid in the face.

“Hello, kiddo. What are you doing here alone?” He questioned, snapping Anakin out of his brooding.

The kid looked up at Rex, eyes wide, jaw hanging open. He glanced at Cody then at Peel then at Crys and them returned his gaze back to Rex.

“Are you all brothers? Uncle Ban said that people who look very much alike are almost always twins but there are four of you, so you can’t be twins and your hair is different and eye color too, but you still so similar it’s sooo wizard! I’ve never seen twins before, you don’t see a lot of huma- hum- humanoids here and it’s alright, I have my family but at the same time-”

“Whoa, kid, don’t forget to breathe!” Crys cut in. The kid smiled at him sheepishly. Crys snorted and ruffled his hair. “Now, back on track. Don’t you need to get back home?” He looked out on the sky and frowned. “It’s pretty late.” The kid gasped.

“I forgot about time! Uncle Ben is going to be sooo mad!” He cried out, jumping up. Cody stepped aside to let the kid out but he had stopped abruptly and turned back to them, looking concerned. “Are you going to stay here?”

“Perhaps.” Cody answered cautiously. They did not need the kid to go and tell the whole city about them. But the kid only gasped again.

“You can’t stay here!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “There is a big storm coming and it’s bigger than every other one I’ve seen. Uncle Ben said we will have to stay home for at least four days!” The troopers shared a look. Anakin grimaced.

“Another reason why I hate this planet.” He muttered and stood up with a groan. He stared at the kid a little awkwardly. “Thank you for the warning, kiddo. Do you need help to get back to your home?” Anakin asked, sounding more serious. The kid shook his head.

“Nah, I’ll just go through the caves. It’ll be faster.” He gestured to the cliffs vaguely and Anakin frowned.

“Caves? Wait, you mean the Whispering caves?” He asked in slight horror. The kid did not seem to notice that. He just nodded and smiled.

“Yeah! They are sooo huge and the sounds are funny there. Bo usually comes with me and we shoot womp rats.” He said cheerfully. Anakin blanched.

“Womp rats? Oh, no. We are escorting you back home.” He told the kid matter-of-factly and barked an order: “Gather the camp, we need to move.”

Crys groaned but stood up, muttering curses under his breath and complaining about his poor tired legs. Peel just whacked him over his head and he shut up.

They quickly donned their armor back on and ten minutes later were following a happy child down into the cave tunnels. The kid seemed pretty comfortable and knew very well there he was going. He was tugging Anakin forward and asking questions about his metal hand.

Cody decided to spent their unexpected free time too ask some questions. He signaled to Crys and Peel to take watch and pulled Rex closer to him.

“Anything to report?” He whispered, trying not to distract the kid from Anakin who looked mildly uncomfortable but oddly pleased with attention at the same time. Rex shook his head with a sigh.

“Nothing much. The city is a Sith-hole with criminals and bandits crawling out of every nook. General managed to bargain for some rations but that’s all. We did not see other troopers or any sign of General Kenobi.” Cody suppressed a sigh and gestured for Rex to continue. “And those… citizens,” Rex spat the word out like it was a rotten egg, “are mostly smugglers, slavers and spice-jackers. So no parting with any information for free.” He finished bitterly. Cody nodded grimly and was about to aske another question when the kid yelled: “We are here!”

Cody glanced up just in time to see the kid rush over to the crude carved stone ladder in the wall and climb up. Judging by the sound he also opened the hatch or something similar in the celling to clear the passage. Anakin ran after the kid, screaming for him to wait and disappeared into the passage. With a sigh, Cody positioned himself to cover his men while they climbed, and hastily followed them after Rex yelled at him.

He had to blink a couple of times to readjust his vision to the outside light. It was getting darker but Cody still could see the others. They all were standing on the top of the mountain on some kind of platform. Cody looked back at the pass he had just climbed out and closed it with a hatch. He nodded to himself and glanced up again. The kid was bouncing on his feet, the scarf now wrapped around his neck revealing a cloud of light blond hair. He tugged at Anakin’s hand, calling: “Come on, come on, come on! You’ve gotta meet uncle Ben, he’s the best!” The kid said, skipping down the well-used path.

“Oh yeah. We surely need to meet this uncle Ben.” Anakin grumbled, gripping the kid’s hand tighter. “Someone needs to tell him about appropriate games for young children.” He muttered angrily, not noticing amused looks his troopers shared. “Womp rats! Whoever thought it was a good past time for a child?” Rex rolled his eyes fondly and picked up his pace a bit to catch up with Anakin.

The kid led them down to the foot of the mountain and confidently turned to the right into the narrow empty space between two mountains. Soon, he turned to the left and the group emerged into a small clearing. Cody could see a vague shape of a hut that stood on the far side of the clearing and seemed to blend into the mountain behind it. The hut’s door opened and a cloaked figure stepped into the night air. The kid let out a happy shriek and ran forward.

“Uncle Ben, I’m home!” He announced as he reached the figure. The figure dropped down to their knees and seemed to check over the kid, who let them do it without a fuss, leading Cody to think that it was their usual routine. Waving his hands excitedly the kid pointed at the clones. “And I made friends! They are mer- mar- mercen- marc- ugh, mercenaries and wanted to-” The figure followed the kid’s gesture and immediately tensed when they saw the clones.

They said something to the kid, cutting his chatter off. He looked up at them in confusion but did not ask any questions, hurrying inside the hut and slamming the door shut behind him.

The figure slowly straightened up and turned to face the group. Their hood was up, hiding their face but experience let Cody see the tension in their shoulders. He tried to reason with himself that it was simply because the kid’s guardian was wary of strangers but again, something told Cody that it was not the case here.

Then he heard a click. Five red dots appeared and settled on each member of their little group. They all were sitting right between their eyes. Cody did not dare to take a breath. He only watched, silently gritting his teeth as the figure pulled out their blaster and pointed it at General Skywalker.

The silence was deafening. No one said anything, even Skywalker kept his mouth shut. Cody watched their opponent who seemed to be eyeing them intently. Finally, they spoke up and Cody’s world shuttered:

“I will ask you only once.” A familiar voice that used to be so full of warmth but now was icy cold stated. Cody froze like a tooka in highlight and was staring at General Kenobi who lowered his hood and was looking at them without a hint of emotion in his piercing grey eyes. “Who are you and how did you find us?”

“Obi-Wan?!” Skywalker blurted in surprise. “What are you doing here?” He tried to take a step closer to his former Master but General Kenobi deftly raised his blaster up and turned it on. Skywalker froze on his track. He gulped and slowly raised his hands up. “Obi-Wan, if you are trying to prank us, well, it is not funny.” His attempt to joke fell flat as not even one muscle moved on Cody’s General alienly blank face. Cody had never seen that expression on his face and it honestly scared him.

“Answer the question.” General Kenobi repeated in the same eerie tone. Skywalker frowned.

“Seriously? You know pretty damn well who we are, Obi-Wan. But alright, I’ll humor you.” He spat out, sarcasm lacing his voice heavily. General Kenobi did not react. Skywalker pointed at Rex. “This is Capitan Rex, he’s under my command. And I am, if you need a reminder, your former Padawan Anakin Skywalker.” He was getting irritated and Cody suppressed a tired sigh. How General Kenobi was able to deal with him was a mystery for all GAR. “Those two are Crys and Peel from 212th and this,” Skywalker pointed at him, “is your Commander Cody.” He dropped his hands down to fold them on his chest. “Satisfied?” He quipped, clearly still thinking that it was some kind of prank.

But Cody was not sure of it. He studied General Kenobi closely and did not like that he saw. His beard had more grey places in it and where was a purely white strand in his hair on his right side. The lines on his face hardened and cheeks hollowed. And the black bags under his eyes were very prominent. Just what in the Sith name was going on? What did that blasted thing it the Templ- Cody’s mind halted. That’s it. He tried to catch Skywalker’s attention and signed quickly: _‘The artifact, strange behavior.’_ Skywalker’s eyes widened and he nodded slightly in understanding.

Meanwhile, General Kenobi shook his head slowly as he watched their interactions. “You could have come up with a better legend.” He said to no one in particular. Skywalker huffed.

“Mercenaries are a great legend, it always works.” He grumbled under his breath. General Kenobi just continued to look at him.

“It is. But your little feigning maneuver is ridiculous. Did you really expect me to believe you are Anakin Skywalker?” He asked, still detached. Skywalker gawked at him, offended.

“And why exactly can’t I be Anakin?” He asked just to be contrary. General Kenobi gave him a rueful smirk, showing emotions for the first time during this whole conversation. And his answer made Cody’s ears ring.

“Because Anakin Skywalker died five years ago. Along with the whole Jedi Order and the Republic.” General Kenobi snorted at their shocked faces. “Come on, don’t pretend like it’s a surprise to you.” He taunted with an eyeroll and a moment later his blank mask was back in place. “And now I want an honest answer – who are you?”

Suddenly Crys giggled a little hysterically behind Cody, making General Kenobi look at him. “Well, I guess you can call us a ‘blast from the past’. Get it?” He asked with a giggle and Cody watched the same realization down on Rex and Peel. Skywalker’s jaw fell. Crys just giggled harder.

Cody glanced at General Kenobi and abruptly found himself captured by his grey eyes. He suppressed a shudder. He did not need Force to know that he had a very bad feeling about this whole situation. Stars help them.

General Kenobi slowly shifted his gaze from Cody. He frowned slightly and made some hand sign. The red dots disappeared. General Kenobi hid his blaster back into his cloak. He took a step back and took the door’s handle. “The storm is coming.” He stated.

Skywalker cursed in Huttese. “Better get inside.” General Kenobi continued and stepped into the hut, leaving the door open in silent invitation. The troopers shared a glance and looked at Skywalker. He was still shocked so he simply followed General Kenobi inside. Rex, Crys and Peel hot on his heels. Cody was the last one. He took a deep breath to calm his shaking hands and took a step in, closing the door firmly behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke is just a sweet cinnamon roll. He’s simpy precious.


	2. Two – Ezra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody is confused, Anakin is angry, and why is Obi-Wan called Ben?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to finish this chapter earlier, but my studies got in the way. Enjoy the suffering of our favorite characters)

Cody blinked rapidly, his eyes adjusting to the light in the room. He looked around curiously. The door led to a small entrance hall, separated from the rest of the space by a stone partition. There were several coats and cloaks of various sizes hanging on the wall, which told Cody that there were other occupants in the house besides the General and the kid, although he couldn’t tell exactly how many. Almost all the cloaks were in the same color scheme-black, gray, beige and white. There were shelves with various trinkets and a couple of toys nearby. Against the opposite wall were several rifles of different models. Cody was unable to stop himself from sneaking a glance at General, wondering what made him acquire so many weapons that he found so uncivilized.

The General himself was standing with his arms folded on his chest, blocking the passage to the next room. He was regarding the clones with caution which stung a little, but Cody refused to show it. The General let them look over the hall for another minute and cleared his throat. “I would ask you to hand over all the weapons you have.” He said evenly and the group tensed.

At least it snapped Skywalker from his stupor. He threw his head up and stared at General for several moments before sighing heavily and motioning for the clones to do as they were told. Reluctantly, Cody took off his blaster and vibro-blades and glanced at the General, unsure of what to do with them next. The General nodded at a small chest next to the riffles, which Cody had initially missed. Crys was standing closest to it so he opened the lid and looked inside. “Kriff, General, you’ve got a heavy arsenal in here.” He whistled, peering down in astonishment. “Planning to take over some government?” The clone joked with a grin, turning his head to look at the General. His smile slipped away then he met the General’s emotionless gaze. He hurriedly turned back to the chest, coughing a little. “Right…” He placed his own weapons inside and took Rex’s to do the same. Cody passed his own to Peel and swallowed thickly. He felt uneasy without his blaster.

After all blasters and blades were safely locked in the chest Skywalker took a step toward General Kenobi, expecting him to lead them inside. But he did not budge. Skywalker raised an eyebrow at him. General Kenobi answered in kind. They stood in silence for a couple of moments, then Skywalker sighed and snapped: “What now?” He asked, irritation almost palpable. General Kenobi merely tilted his head.

“I said all your weapons.” He repeated calmly. Skywalker frowned.

He threw a quick glance at the clones, checking them over and turned back to Obi-Wan. “But we already did that.” He said, only moments away from shouting. General Kenobi shook his head lightly.

“Either you are forgetting something or you want me to believe that this is just a hallucination.” He gestured at Skywalker’s belt. Skywalker followed his line of sight and promptly froze.

“You want me to give you my lightsaber?” He asked incredulously, stumbling away from General Kenobi, eyes widening in surprise. Cody felt his muscles tense up in preparation to fight and had to force himself to relax. This was General Kenobi. He always had a reason for his every move. Sure, not always a good one, but still a reason.

The General’s gaze hardened. “I will not let armed individuals into my house.” He said calmly, raising his chin slightly. He tipped his head down a bit. “There are children here and I do not want them harmed.” Cody looked down and with a jolt of surprise found two little boys hiding behind General’s legs and peeking at the clones inquisitively.

One of the boys was already familiar to Cody, so he turned his attention to the other. He was slightly taller than the first one, his skin tone was darker than the General’s but lighter than Cody’s and the other clones’. He had a mop of black hair which seemed to stuck out in every direction. And his big dark blue eyes reminded Cody of the oceans of Kamino in a storm. He was wearing a light orange tunic and brown trousers.

Skywalker shook his head stubbornly. “Come on, Obi-Wan,” he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know me. I would never hurt a child.” Skywalker insisted with a scowl. There was a flash of pain in the General’s eyes what appeared at Skywalker’s words. It vanished instantly, as if it had never existed. If Cody hadn’t been watching the General so closely, he wouldn’t have noticed.

The General opened his mouth to retort but was cut off then the unknown boy asked: “Da, why is this man calling you Obi-Wan?” Skywalker started; his jaw fell down in shock as he gawked at the kid. Cody felt Rex’s gaze on him and in his peripheral vision he saw Crys and Peel start signing rapidly but he could not find it in himself to pay attention to them. He searched the kid’s face but could not see any similarities between him and the General. The boy’s nose was scrunched in confusion as he looked up at the General, waiting for the answer. The other kid seemed puzzled too.

General Kenobi looked down at the kid and smiled gently at him, his whole face transforming from the cold mask it was for the whole evening. Skywalker’s eyes went even bigger and he let out a high-pitched chocked sound. General Kenobi ignored him; his attention now full on the two boys. “He calls me that because it was my name a long time ago.” He explained softly. “But I do not use it anymore.” The General finished, a hint of longing coloring his voice.

Both boys frowned. The taller one bit his lip, seemingly thinking the answer over. “Like Terra and Bo?” He asked finally, staring at the General earnestly. General Kenobi nodded, his gaze softening affectionately.

“Yes, like Terra and Bo.” He confirmed. It must have meant something to them as the boy nodded thoughtfully.

The other boy glanced at him then at Skywalker, then back at General. “Does that mean you are friends?” He questioned innocently, face lighting up in excitement. Then he gasped. “Did you know my father too?” The boy bounced on his feet, looking hopefully at Skywalker who made another choked sound, swaying a bit. The boy just blinked at him, perplexed.

General Kenobi sighed, putting his hands on the boys’ shoulders. “It’s not the best time right now.” He murmured and pushed them into the room lightly. “Why don’t you two see what Terra and Buddy are doing?” He suggested, successfully distracting the dark-haired boy who snatched the other boy’s hand and tugged him away from the passage.

“Luke, c’mon! Maybe Terra will let us use his ‘proj!” He exclaimed, delighted. Luke reluctantly let himself be dragged away, still throwing glances at Skywalker. General Kenobi watched them go and turned back to the group only when the kids disappeared from his view.

He let out a small sigh and faced the clones, his mask firmly back in place, as if that loving man Cody saw only moments ago had never existed.

“You- you have a kid?!” Skywalker sputtered, stunned. General Kenobi arched an eyebrow but stayed quiet. Skywalker pointed his finger at him. “After all those lectures about attachments you- you’ve just- gone and found yourself not one but two kids?” He shouted, chest heaving as if he had just finished an intense training. He run his hand through his hair and stared at his former Master. “What the kriff, Obi-Wan?” Skywalker demanded harshly, glaring.

After a bit of silence Cody heard the General snort. He stared at him in bewilderment. The General shook his head and mumbled under his breath: “Oh, how ironic…” He huffed a laugh, crossing his arms loosely and leaned on the wall. Glancing up at Skywalker the General nodded at his ‘saber. “Put it away with the rest and I’ll let you in.”

Skywalker gritted his teeth. “Why did you even let us in if you don’t trust us?” He lashed out tersely, giving the General an angry look.

General Kenobi just watched him silently for a minute before Skywalker huffed in agitation, tore his lightsaber from the clip and threw it in the chest using the Force to open and then close the lid.

“Frivolous use of the Force.” The General commented under his breath, almost sounding teasing, his eyes tracking the ‘saber’s movement. Skywalker looked ready to snap at him but bit his lip and remained silent. General Kenobi nodded to himself, pushed off the wall, turned around and went into the room. Skywalker stomped after him, fuming. Peel and Crys shared a look. Crys shrugged and followed them, Peel only a step behind. Cody made a move to go after them then Rex’s hand landed at his shoulder.

He closed his eyes. He did not want to look at his brother. He knew Rex was only worried about him but it did not mean he wanted to see it, for the Force’s sake! Cody scowled at his thoughts, shaking his head to get rid of them.

“Hey, you alright here?” Rex asked quietly, causing Cody to sigh and pass hid gloved hand through his hair. Unlike his many brothers who sometimes had the weirdest hairstyles, he decided to leave the military haircut, so his hair was pretty short. He absently wondered if he should let it grow a bit, like General’s-

Cody exhaled slowly, opening his eyes. He took in Rex’s concerned face and nodded, covering his hand with his own and squeezing it lightly. “I’m fine. Let’s go before Skywalker puts his foot into his mouth and ruins everything.” He jested with halfhearted smirk but Rex groaned nonetheless and stumbled into the room. Cody took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and walked after him.

Two small stone steps led from the passage to the room. Cody went down and looked around for threats. The room was spacious, larger than Cody would have guessed from the outside. The walls were stone, as in the hallway. There were several narrow windows along the entire length of the right-hand wall. There was a long wooden table with six chairs. Not far from it was a humidifier unit and a small chest with an open lid that contained toys. On the floor was a fairly large rug made from the skin of an animal Cody didn’t recognize. A recess was made in the left wall and there was a rounded sofa in front of which was a round table on which laid several sabacc cards.

Also, on the left side was a stone ledge that apparently served as a display table. On the wall above him were children's drawings of varying degrees of skill and Cody could have sworn that one or two were drawn by the General. On the ledge itself were clumsily constructed droids, figures carved from wood and molded from clay.

Cody noted more steps leading to the next room. He supposed the boys went there but he could not be sure. Shaking his head, he turned back to that he guessed was the living room.

The General was sitting in the armchair in front of the round table, looking completely at ease. Unlike Skywalker who sat across him tensely. Crys and Peel sat next to Skywalker. Rex gave Cody a pointed look and sat in the middle of the sofa. Cody suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at his smug smirk and leaned on the wall behind Skywalker, keeping everyone in the room in his sight.

They sat in silence; the only sound was the wind outside. Skywalker’s leg bounced with nervous energy. At last the General leaned his elbows on the table and intertwined his fingers in front of his face, watching them intensely. He searched each of them in turn. His lips thinned when he turned to Skywalker. Tilting his head, he frowned.

It was the last straw. Skywalker slammed his hands on the table, jumping on his feet and towered over it, bending to stare at the General. “That’s it. I’ve had enough. _Talk_.” He hissed, his voice held a dangerous edge. Cody felt the air around them cackle with energy and he shifted away from Skywalker subtly, the others copying him. All except General Kenobi.

He regarded the agitated Knight coolly, giving him a stern look. “Sit down.” He ordered firmly and Skywalker complied with a huff, the Force around him still swirling. He glared at the General, challenge clear in his eyes.

With a sigh General Kenobi rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Let’s make a deal, shall we?” He asked, meeting Skywalker’s gaze unflinchingly. “You tell me your version of events. Completely and truthfully.” He emphasized, his tone becoming firm like many times before on the _Negotiator_ ’s cockpit. “And I will decide whether to believe you or not.”

Skywalker snorted. “Oh, so now you want _us_ to talk? How about that, _you_ tell us what in the Sith’s hell going on here and _we_ decide if we trust you or not?” He snarked, folding his arms, eyes throwing daggers. “How would you like that?”

Cody bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from pointing out to Skywalker that they were at disadvantage here. Crys, however, was having none of it. He groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “Not to be a spoilsport, sir, but we are kinda guests here?” He said, voicing the last part of the sentence like a question and directing it at General Kenobi. The man’s lips curled up in a tiny smile and he gave the trooper a small nod. Crys perked up. Skywalker gave him a flat look. Crys scratched the back of his neck. “I mean, we are not even from this time!” He exclaimed, waving his free head and froze. He stared at General Kenobi. “Are we even in our dimension?” He whispered.

The General’s eyebrows rose and he looked at the group pensively. “I would not be able to tell until I know what happened.” He answered finally and glanced at Crys expectantly. The trooper happily lunched into the story, occasionally interrupted by an interjection from Rex or correction from Peel. The General listened quietly, frowning deeper as the story progressed.

“…and then your kid led us here. You know the rest.” Crys finished and peered at the General curiously.

The red-head pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long-suffering sigh. “This is why I told you to watch him, Commander.” He said eventually, giving Cody a stern look, which made the clone stiffen.

“Hey, I do not need a babysitter!” Skywalker cried out, offended. General Kenobi just stared at him.

“Apparently, you do.” He replied flatly. Skywalker gawked at him but the General was not paying attention to him anymore. He stroked his beard, lost in thoughts. “I do recall this particular mission…” He said slowly and then shook his head. “But I do not remember anything after we split up.”

Skywalker puffed a stifled laugh. “So, you believe us, Master?” He asked sarcastically, causing the General to tense a little.

“I do.” He responded simply, dropping his hands down on his lap. He stared at them all with a strange gleam in his eyes that Cody could not decipher. It made him uncomfortable for some reason, like he was intruding into something private.

General Kenobi breathed out slowly, seemingly recomposing himself. “I do not know how or why you were transported here but you cannot go back the same way.”

Peel cocked his head, looking up from his wrist comm there he was noting everything down. “Why not? We can buy a ship. It might take some time, I admit, but it is still an option.” He said.

General Kenobi sighed heavily. “I am afraid that even should you acquire a ship it would not be very helpful. The Empire had destroyed all known Jedi and Sith Temples during the first year of its existence.” He explained. “Including the Temple on Actlyon.” A heavy silence fell after those words.

“So, you’re saying we’re basically stuck here?” Skywalker fumed, clenching his fists so hard Cody was afraid he will break his fingers. Or something else. General Kenobi tilted his head, a familiar sparkle appearing in his eyes. Cody’s heart soared at the sight.

“I do not know, and I cannot know. The Force has its own ways and its own reasons. If it brought you here, then it needs you here.” He told Skywalker, making him kick the table’s leg.

“Alright, uh, maybe we should leave this topic for a bit.” Crys chimed in, turning to General Kenobi. “Sir, can you tell us about that Empire? And what happened to the Jedi?” He pleaded.

The now familiar mask creeped onto the General’s face. Crys winced and bit his lip guiltily. But did not back down on his request, determined to figure everything out. General Kenobi let out a slow breath, looking somewhere past Peel. “Five years ago, the Separatists leaders were found killed. And then Chancellor Palpatine declared the Republic corrupt and unfit for further existence.” He said in an empty detached tone. “He declared himself Emperor and the ruler of the First Galactic Empire.”

Skywalker opened his mouth to say something but Rex swiftly kicked him under the table, shutting him up. General Kenobi did not seem to notice. “People were happy that the war was over and not many questioned new reforms. And by the time they did it was already too late. The Emperor had the whole Galaxy at his disposal and no one was strong enough to oppose him.”

“At first it was not so bad. The Separatists were apprehended, their army shut down. Pirates, smugglers and ex-Separatists or their sympathizers were being rooted out. But when the same started happening to everyone who was not completely in agreement with Imperial policy or methods… Those, who had doubts or asked too many questions…” General paused and closed his eyes like he was reliving some painful memories. “They were killed, for one reason or another. Along with their families, friends and even neighbors. To set an example.”

“It cannot be true!” Skywalker exploded, startling them all. He glared at the General. “Chancellor Palpatine is a good man and if he ordered to kill someone, well, he must have had a good reason.” The General let Skywalker rant, watching him with resigned sadness. “And I don’t believe that he would kill innocents. I won’t.” The young Knight stressed.

General Kenobi offered him a small sad smile. “It is always impossibly hard to see error in the actions of whose we care about.” He said softly and Cody felt dread slowly crawl up his spine. He gulped thickly and returned his attention to the General.

Skywalker was standing in the middle of the room, panting. “…what about the Order?” He asked, voice quiet and small.

When he did not get an immediate answer, he turned around and rounded on General. “Obi-Wan?” He called cautiously and slowly kneeled in front of him, taking his hands. Cody could only marvel at his mood swings. “Where is Ahsoka?” Skywalker questioned softly. Rex tensed in his seat, waiting for the answer with bated breath.

General Kenobi stared unseeingly down at their hands on his lap. “Dead. They are all dead.” He said steadily. Skywalker made a pained noise and tore himself away from the General. He started pacing, running his hand through his messy hair.

He licked his lips. “How? Why?” He pleaded.

The General let out a bitter laugh. “For betraying the Republic. For planning a power grab. For trusting the wrong people.” He started loudly but the last part was whispered almost too quiet to hear. Skywalker stared at him in disbelief.

“What? But it does not make any sense!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “…Force, all Jedi?” He asked and closed his eyes at the General’s nod. “But how could the Chancellor let this happen?” He wondered out loud.

“Anakin…” General Kenobi called quietly, using Skywalker’s name for the first time. He looked at the young man with sympathy. “Chancellor Palpatine was the one who issued the order.”

Skywalker froze. Wide eyes fixed on the General, searching his face. He stumbled back, shaking his head vigorously. “No, no, no! It cannot be…” He tugged his hair, laughing hysterically.

Peel was staring blankly in front of him. Crys looked ready to burst in tears. Rex seemed calm, but Cody knew him too well to see the pain hidden in his eyes. And Cody himself… he felt numb. The whole Jedi Order just… gone.

“Even Younglings?” Cody did not realize he had spoken, his voice sounding too strange to his own ears. General Kenobi nodded. Cody closed his eyes. “Stars…” He whispered.

“But how?” Crys asked, sounding lost. He looked at General Kenobi helplessly. “The Jedi are the best fighters in the Galaxy. Who could have been so skilled to eliminate the whole Order?”

Suddenly General Kenobi bursted out into a raucous laugh. He doubled over, wheezing for breath. The clones all stared at him in shock. Skywalker hovered closely, looking worried.

The General stopped laughing as abruptly as he started. He threw his head up, looked Cody dead in the eye and asked: “Does Order 66 sound familiar?”

***

_Ezra was… unexpected._

_Luke had just turned six months old. Obi-Wan, who was now known as Ben, had settled into his new life. Every morning he got up at dawn, meditated for a couple of hours, and then went to prepare breakfast. By then, Luke would usually be awake and Ben would smile at the happily squeaking baby and pick him up, going through the morning routine of changing and caring for the little boy. After breakfast Ben would put on his cloak, place Luke in a sling, and go up into the mountains to check the traps and make sure that no one hostile was nearby. When Ben got home, he would put Luke down on the carpet and gave him toys, keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn’t crawl away. More often than not, Luke just followed Ben wherever he went, laughing in delight and levitating small objects with the Force._

_Ben would tend to his small garden, telling Luke about the plants and their properties. The kid always looked so focused that Ben could almost believe he understood._

_Sometimes he would go to the caves. The soft glow of the flowers and the calm atmosphere soothed his aching heart. Once or twice a month, he went to the nearest town to replenish supplies and get the latest news. He even made friends with the owner of the local Cantina, an old Duro named Raqqa. She was almost instantly charmed by Luke and quickly softened to Ben. He told her that he was caring for his nephew, whose parents were killed during Separatist’s attack. Raqqa was sympathetic. She became his informant, not that she knew. With her help he figured out who would be willing to strike a deal with him without personal meeting or exchange of names. As far as everyone was concerned, an anonymous merchant just happened upon the rare flower and was willing to barter for the best price._

_Ben was slowly getting used to his new routine when he felt an insistent tug. It’s been months since the Force was so clear but Ben still hesitated. He could not leave Luke but he could not take him with him either._

_In the end he asked Raqqa to look after Luke, telling her that he had decided to make a trip to his home planet and pick up some belongings that were left there._

_He dyed his hair black and payed some smuggler for the ride. On his ship he got to Najiba and there overheard the pirates that was headed for C-Foroon. Ben hid in the cargo hold of their ship and made it safely to the planet. There, he hijacked a small two-seat starship and allowed the Force to guide him._

_A few hours later, he reached a small mountainous planet Lothal. It took him some time to get around the Imperial patrols and find a hidden place to land._

_His heart soared as he sneaked through the dirty streets in night. Troopers in stark white armor patrolled the streets, people looked constantly tired and worn. From whispers Ben gathered that the Empire took over the planet’s economy promising prosperity and new job places. And now people were starving._

_Ben drew his hood lower, ducking into the shadowed alcove to let the patrol pass. He ignored the painful clench his heart gave then he recognized the troopers’ force signatures. Commander Wolffe and Boost. They felt different, but Ben still recognized them. He bit his lip, shooing off the memories and pressed himself into the wall, hiding his Force presence and stayed there for ten minutes._

_He quietly slipped away into the less used street. The Force was leading him, feeling almost like an impatient Youngling tugging at his hand. Ben smiled briefly at himself._

_Soon, he was hiding between two houses, watching the third closely and with no small amount of concern. The Force was positively singing around this house. Ben closed his eyes and let his senses roam. His breath hitched on its own accord then someone reached back._

_The person was clumsy and unskilled but obviously friendly. Dread washed over Ben as he realized that this person’s presence was much the same as Luke’s. He gritted his teeth and sent the infant a small wave of fondness in greeting. He received back a flood of surprised delight._

_Smiling, Ben tried to figure out what he should do. He had heard about the so-called ‘Jedi purge’ and Ana- Vader’s part in it. He knew that this child would not be left in peace should someone learn that they were force-sensitive. Ben sighed. He would speak to the child’s parents and hope that they will understand. He looked around to see if anyone was watching. No one was there._

_Ben walked to the door. He was about to raise his fist and knock, then he registered that the door was slightly ajar. Reaching out, Ben swiped the entire house with his senses but only felt one living person there. The former Jedi hung his head in grief. He shouldered the door open carefully and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He glanced around._

_The room was trashed. Pieces of furniture and droid parts littered the floor. A woman lay in the middle of the room. A blaster was still in her hand. She had a hole in her chest. Three dead stormtroopers and two Imperial droids lay nearby._

_Ben slowly walked closer and crouched next to the woman, checking her pulse despite already knowing the answer. He let himself grief for her for a moment and then released his feelings into the Force. Tenderly, he closed the woman’s eyes and send a quick prayer to the Force. He took her blaster and slowly made his way deeper into the house._

_Everywhere was the same mess as in the first room. Ben came across two more stormtrooper bodies, but so far there was no sign of live. He used his connection to the infant to slowly move towards them. Finally, he arrived to the room that turned out to be the nursery. Three destroyed droids were laying in the hall in front of it. Ben apprehensively opened the door and peeked inside._

_There was a man on the floor. With several blaster holes in his back. It seemed like he was shielding someone when he was shot. Ben walked slowly into the room and looked around._

_It was a small room painted in light yellow. There was a closet on Ben’s right and a drawer with baby things on it. Several shelves with datapads and family holos. And in the middle on the room was a white wooden crib. Ben stepped closer and glanced inside._

_A small infant with big dark blue eyes and black hair stared back at him. He was dressed in orange onesie and white bootees. Ben’s heart ached for him. The baby reached for Ben with his tiny hands, giggling. Lowering the blaster, Ben lifted the boy from the crib and held him to his chest. The boy snuggled into him happily, bubbling excitedly. Ben gave him a small smile._

_The Jedi frowned. What happened here? Why was this family killed? Judging by the bodies’ state it could not have happened more than a day before. Did no one notice? Ben shook his head. There was no time to dwell on those questions. He had a new priority._

_He quickly went through the closet, found a bag, and put all the necessary things in it – clothes, shoes, food, pacifiers and a few hand-knitted blankets. Ben carefully sidestepped the body of the child’s father and walker toward the shelves._

_The holos all showed the boy with his parents or some friends. Ben took one there the boy was held by his mother, the father’s arm around her waist. The small family was in their living room, the parents smiling brightly, while the boy was looking up at his mother, trying to show her a small droid in his hand._

_Ben looked down and found an inscription:_

**_‘Little Ezra and his first droid.’_ **

_He looked down at the now sleeping child. “Hello, Ezra.” He greeted softly. “My name is Ben. I promise I will take care of you from now on.” Ben swore quietly._

_After a quick search he found Ezra’s birth certificate._

_“Look at this.” He murmured, examining the data on the screen. “You’re only two days older than Luke.”_

_Ezra let out a tiny snore._

_Ben chuckled and tapped down on the count ‘parents.’_

**_‘Mira Bridger.’_ **

**_‘Ephraim Bridger.’_ **

_He glanced down at Ephraim. “I’ll do everything to keep him safe.” He vowed and silently fled the house. No matter how much he wanted to pay proper respect to the dead, he could not afford to attract any attention to himself. He had to get back to Luke._

_“I hope you’ll get along.” He murmured absently, strapping Ezra down to the baby seat in the starship._

_He had a long journey ahead of him._

_Luke and Ezra got along splendidly._

_As soon as Luke saw Ezra, they were inseparable. Where one went the other soon followed._

_(Ben ignored the small voice in his head that reminded him of the times then the same was told about him)_

_They crawled all over Ben’s hut, bumping into furniture and making their toys fly. Ben had to buy them a new crib, since they refused to be parted even in sleep._

_Raqqa was ecstatic when she met Ezra._

_Ezra’s first word shuttered Ben’s heart._

_The boys were eleven months old. They played together on the carpet while Ben made dinner. He was humming a lullaby that he had recently learned from Raqqa. The boys clapped their hands and giggled. Ben placed the fruits into two bowls and made his way to the children, leaving his own dinner to boil for a bit. He sat down in front of the boys and placed the bowls in front of them._

_Luke immediately went to grab a piece of fruit with his hand but Ben caught it gently and tutted. “Just because we are dining sitting on the floor does not mean we can forget about manners. Now, what do we need?” He questioned with a smile and Luke’s nose scrunched in confusion._

_Then his face brightened. “Owk!” He said loudly, making Ben laugh._

_“Yes, that’s right, fork.” He confirmed and gave each boy a fork._

_They ate in silence for a few minutes. Ben got distracted by Luke, who accidentally crushed a berry and smeared it all over his face, and did not immediately hear the insistent ‘Da!’_

_He froze, a small towel which he used to clean Luke’s face fell from his limp hand. Ben slowly turned his head around and looked at Ezra. The boy was frowning at him. Upon seeing that he had Ben’s attention he pointed at the fork which lay a foot away from him. “Da, up!”_

_Ben nodded dumbly and summoned the fork much to the children’s delight._

_That night he cried for the first time since the end of the war._

_(A week later Luke called him ‘papa’)_

_When the boys were three, Ben sat them down at the table and gently told them what had happened to their families. He explained that Luke’s father was his little brother and the best pilot in the Galaxy. That his mother was kind and gentle but fierce and just at the same time. He told Ezra that his parents loved him more than anything in the world. That Mira was a proud woman with firm principles and a caring mother. He told him about Ephraim’s protectiveness and how much he loved his family._

_Ben told them that no matter whose children they were, he loved them nonetheless. The boys cried and clutched him and Ben cried with them._

_After that Ben would occasionally speak about Padmé or Anakin in the evenings. He gave Ezra a holo-record with his parents and their message to him which he found in their house._

_Luke started calling him ‘uncle Ben.’_

_One evening, Ezra creeped into Ben’s room and stood next to the door, looking down at the floor and fidgeted with his sleeve. Ben waited patiently for him to gather his courage. Finally, the kid looked up and asked tentatively: “Can I call you ‘da’?” Ben’s heart swelled with love and he nodded, opening his arms to embrace the child._

_They both ended up crying. Luke came running in two minutes after, feeling their emotions in the Force but unable to understand them._

_That night the boys slept with Ben._

_(And every night during sandstorms)_

_Ben told Ezra and Luke about the Force. He taught them how to listen to it and how to use it without hurting someone._

_Of course, accidents happened. A crushed mug, an exploded droid, a couple of torn tunics._

_It was worth it._

_Ben had a semblance of routine in place by the time the boys were two years old._

_And then he felt the tug again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there are already two of them! Did anyone expect that? How many children do you think Obi-Wan has? Who will be next? And how will our poor time travelers cope with all of this?


	3. Three – Double trouble. Terra & Kanan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is tired, Anakin wants answers and Cody wants them to be lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeellooo there. This time we’ve got two kids at once! Points to those who guessed Kanan! The second one, well, here you will have to read to find out who it is) and yeah, it's slightly bigger than usual, I just got a little carried away...
> 
> Side note: OMG, have you seen Bad Batch trailer?! I know it’s been days but I’m still so exited and every time I’m reminded about it, I want to scream. And none of my friends saw Clone Wars and don’t even know what I’m talking about! That really, reeeeeally sucks, folk.

_It was both easier and harder to leave this time._

_Ben still had the ship he took on Lothal and he knew that Raqqa would happily watch the boys. He had all supplies he might need (that included as many bacta and other medical supplies as he was able to find) and even two blasters, much to his displease. But Ben cannot be seen using a lightsaber, so the blasters would do._

_The problem was the boys themselves._

_At first, when they heard that Ben was going to take them to town, they were thrilled. They had visited it only recently, and it was unusual to return there so soon. But when they realized that Ben wanted to leave them with Raqqa... they did not take it well._

_Luke just started wailing and clutched Ben’s leg in a death grip, begging him not to go. Ezra, usually well-mannered and calm, threw his first proper temper tantrum. He screamed and yelled and threw things around the room, demanding Ben to stay. Thankfully, neither he nor Luke used the Force. The patrons were already giving them side glances. They did not need even more attention. Ben tried to calm the boys down but was struck speechless then Luke exclaimed: “Don’t go! We be good, pwomise! Don’t leave!” Looking up at Ben with big pleading eyes. And Ben was horrified to see fear there too._

_That broke Ezra’s resolve and he started crying as well. Ben breathed out slowly and gathered both boys into his arms. They immediately snuggled into his chest like every other time. Ben still marveled at how easy and natural the it was for them. He nodded gratefully at Raqqa who waved him into the staff’s room. There he put the boys back on the floor and held them at arm-length, hands on their shoulders. Ben looked them in the eyes. “Boys, I’m not leaving you here forever.” He spoke softly, wiping away the tears from their faces. They stared at him, hiccupping. Ben smiled a little. “I just need to leave for a few days.” He tried to assure the toddlers._

_“We go with you!” Luke said instantly, Ezra nodding in agreement, staring at Ben with determination unusual for a toddler. Ben simply chuckled._

_“I cannot take you with me. It is too dangerous.” He said gently, watching their hopeful expressions turn into the sad ones. They were on the verge of tears again. “Remember what I told you?” Ben asked out of blue, confusing them._

_Luke looked at Ezra, who was frowning in concentration. “Listen to Fowse?” He said hesitantly, sniffing loudly. Ben nodded with a proud smile._

_“That’s correct. Tell me, what do you feel now?” The boys closed their eyes. Luke even scrunched his nose in his attempt to focus. Ben suppressed a chuckle._

_He monitored their progress carefully, not letting them slip in too deep. Ezra came out with a gasp, Luke following right after him._

_“It’s calm.” He said with a smile._

_“And warm.”_

_“And soft.”_

_“Like home.” They chorused._

_Ben smiled proudly and gave the boys’ shoulders a little squeeze. “Correct. You’re doing wonderful.” He praised softly. The kids beamed up at him, tears and fears forgotten for a time being. “But I feel more.” He added after a moment, sitting down and crossing his legs in his preferred meditation position. Luke hurried to sit down in front of him, eager and exited at the prospect of meditating. Ezra followed him at a more leisure pace. Ben closed his eyes. “Come, let me show you.” He murmured, leading his kids into the Force._

_It immediately enveloped them all in a warm equivalent of a hug. Ben sensed Luke’s exhilaration and Ezra’s elation at being here. The world around them was too Dark and was getting Darker with each passing day. But when they were meditating, they sank deeper into the Force, closer to the faint but undimmed source of the Light side. Ben felt the tension leave his thoughts and his physical body, as if it never existed in the first place. The Force sang here and Ben would have loved to stay and listen but he had a mission._

_So he guided Luke and Ezra through the Force and stopped only when he reached a steady line of light hovering in the space. Ezra gasped, holding up his hand to touch it. The light curled around his little fingers, pulsing slightly, which made the boy giggle in delight. Luke immediately went to join his friend, asking him questions he did not have answers for. Eventually, he raised his head and asked: “Wat’s it?”_

_Ben stepped closer and kneeled next to them. He gently touched the light, feeling a small tingle ran through his hand. “I don’t know for sure.” He murmured, watching the light swirl around Ezra. “But it led me to Ezra two years ago.” At the sound of his name, Ezra tilted his head in Ben’s direction, blinking hard._

_“Weally?” He asked, looked down at the light wrapped all around and between his fingers. He shook his hands a bit, trying to get it off but the light stubbornly clung to him. Ezra huffed in frustration, scrunching his nose._

_Ben chuckled. “Really.” He affirmed and helped Ezra untangle his hands, letting the light hover over their heads once again._

_Luke was chewing his bottom lip, a small frown indicated that he was thinking deeply. He made the same expression when he was trying to solve one of Ben’s riddles. “Who’s on the end?” He asked finally, pointing in the direction the light led. Ben smiled sadly._

_“I do not know yet. But whoever it is, they might need my help.” He said, searching the boys’ faces. “And this is why I must go.” Luke let out a displeased sigh. He folded his arms and looked away, sulking. Ben had to carefully shield himself from them as he was hit with a flashback of young Anakin who looked exactly the same. He gulped and gave the kids a shaky smile. “It should not take more than a couple of weeks.”_

_“Weeks!” Ezra cried out, clearly horrified. “No! Da, no go!” The toddler insisted again, clutching Ben’s arm in his grip. Ben gently stroke his back, letting the boy calm down on his own._

_“It is not ideal, my dears. But it must be done.” He said firmly, leaving no place for argument._

_“Otay, Da.” The boys responded dejectedly, looking down at their feet, chastised. Ben sighed. He rubbed his aching temple and guided them all out into the real world. He opened his eyes just in time to catch Luke into his arms. Not expecting that, he fell on his back with a startled yelp._

_“Pwomise you come back.” Luke whispered brokenly into Ben’s neck, winding his arms around Ben. Ezra hovered nearby, barely holding himself back so Ben held out his arm that was not supporting Luke and hugged Ezra too._

_He swallowed thickly, emotions chocking him. Ben buried his face into the boys’ hair and murmured: “I will come back. I swear to you, no matter how, I will always be here for you.” He said quietly, already thinking about an excuse he would give Raqqa this time._

_It was too dangerous to tell Luke and Ezra about the Order. At least right now, when they were too young to understand that they could not speak freely of some things. They knew basics about the Force and its use and the Code they used to teach Younglings… But nothing about the Jedi themselves, Ben did not want to risk them slip in front of wrong people. They didn’t know what exactly his words implied but still took comfort in them._

_Ben told himself that he was not worried as he walked away from Raqqa’s cantina. Not at all. He threw his hood up. The boys would be fine, they liked and respected Raqqa. There was absolutely no way they might end up harmed under her watch. She was like a mother-tooka protecting her kittens. And unlike tooka, she had blasters._

_Ben lowered his hood deeper, hiding his frown from view. He could not afford to worry about his kids now. They were in good hands and knew how to act in case of danger. It took more time and effort than Ben would have liked to teach them to never go anywhere with strangers or take anything from them, both toddlers were far too friendly and adventurous, and yet he did it. And despite it, to Ben’s great relief, they quickly learned that they could only mention or use the Force when Ben was around and in control of the process. Thus, Ben was not worried about letting the boys stay with Raqqa. And besides, he had a suspicion that she already knew. Still, Ben needed to maintain his appearance._

_With a quick step, he entered their hut and went to the kitchen. There he pulled up the rug attached to the hatch and quickly descended the ladder and found himself in an underground hangar. It was a recent addition to their small home, which Ben had finished building just a few months ago._

_A year and a half ago, a few weeks after Ezra’s arrival, Ben accidentally discovered a network of tunnels connected to the Whispering Caves that ran under his hut. His extensive experience suggested that no one should leave such a leverage in their rear, so Ben decided to turn it in his favor._

_Using the Force, he found a weak spot in the ceiling of one of the tunnels located exactly under the kitchen. It was very easy to make a hole in the floor and build a ladder. It was harder and much longer to clear and expand the tunnel to the size Ben needed and make sure that no one got into it. He didn’t worry about the womp rats, they did not like the coldness of the caves or small native fauna that roamed the tunnels, they usually avoided people. Travelers lost in the tunnels were another matter._

_It didn’t happen often, but Ben had heard rumors of travelers who had perished in the Whispering Caves, following the voices of their dead loved ones. He had never encountered anything like this himself but experience had taught him not to dismiss such possibilities immediately. For this reason, he spent a lot of time trying to hide or disguise the entrances to the tunnels he used._ _Of course, he couldn't spend all day in caves, he was still responsible for two babies, so he worked most of the time for a few hours at night, which slowed the process down a lot. But it gave Ben an opportunity to explore and familiarize himself to the caves. In the end, he got not only a working hangar but also a storage room, a training room, and a detailed map of all the tunnels and branches of the Whispering Caves._

_Before he was off, Ben caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and frowned. His red hair was shoulder-length and pulled back into a bun on the base of his neck and his beard needed trimming. He raised his hand to touch it but stopped halfway, cocking his head. The Force was trying to tell him something. Ben closed his eyes and listened. Several images flashed through his mind and Ben opened his eyes with a small sigh, his hand was already reaching for a razor._

_The sink was slowly filling with clipped hair. When he was done, Ben stared at his reflection. It was unusual for him to see himself without a beard. He even looked a few years younger. The former Jedi shook his head and stepped away from the sink._

_Ben habitually took the helm of the starship that the boys had named Zealous and turned the engine on. He steered the ship carefully through the narrow tunnels and out of the caves near the Northern settlement of the Tusken Raiders. Then he closed his eyes and let the Force take control._

_Surprisingly, the planet that Ben was approaching was not far away and vaguely familiar to him. A few weeks before the fall of the Republic, the Council listened to a report on Bracca’s Invasion. At the time, Ben couldn’t get a good look at the planet, the connection was unstable, so he took a moment to take a quick look at the planet as Zealous descended into the atmosphere._

_The surface of the planet was dark and consisted of mountains jutting out over misty cliffs, covered with huge junkyards. Black smoke gathered in heavy clouds, pouring acid rain on the ground. Here and there people scurried around covered from head to toe in protective cloth. Ben watched with interest as a group of workers overturned a platform of junk in the gorge. One of them waved at him, indicating where he could land._

_He obediently put the ship in the indicated place, threw on his cloak and got out of the cockpit, pulling his hood more tightly over his head. The same worker pointed him in the direction of the local Cantina. Ben thanked him and sauntered off. The Force was a bit strange here, as if it was torn between two directions... Ben was so engrossed in his sensations that he almost missed a stifled gasp nearby._

_A moment later, someone tentatively tapped on his shield. The person was not familiar to Ben and still, he easily read their bewilderment and happiness in the Force, they were projecting quite strongly. Without giving any outward sign, Ben calmly continued on his way. He reached out in greeting, beaconing them to follow him. They reared back in surprise slightly but obliged._

_Ten minutes after, Ben was sitting in the far corner of the Cantina, drinking the local equivalent of caf. It was even more disgusting than original, in Ben’s opinion. He did not lower his hood, waiting patiently for the person to approach him. Finally, a somewhat small figure hesitantly sat across Ben._

_The Force was pulling Ben toward them, so he decided to examine them carefully. Their face was hidden by a protective metal mask with a narrow visor. They were dressed in a tunic which seemed a little too large for them and a sleeveless cloak with a hood. A utility belt was secured around their shoulders. They also wore gloves, so Ben could only make guesses about their species._

_They regarded each other for a few moments silently. The stranger broke eye contact first, glancing furtively around. Ben felt them reach out through the force, as if trying to find something or understand something. Curious, Ben loosened his shields a little, allowing the person to enter. Their touch was uncertain, but they seemed to come to some conclusion and they slowly raised their hands and removed the mask._

_Bright green eyes looked at Ben, full of hope and longing. The stranger was human with vivid red hair which reminded Ben of a half-forgotten memory about the last time he visited the Main Temple before the Republic’s fall. He was in the hall, talking to Master Koon and he remembered greeting to another Master, Jaro Tapal, with a young boy, who were passing by. Master Tapal introduced the boy as Cal Kestis, his new Padawan. Cal’s flash was so bright, it almost matched his hair. Ben looked at the now teenager with new eyes._

_He had a small scar on his jaw. His hair was longer, skin a bit paler and his freckles were gone. But the look of wonder was still present._

_Ben smiled. “Well, well, well.” He murmured and tilted his head to the side. “Yer’e rigger, right?” Cal frowned in confusion and Ben subtly nodded at the table next to the bar, where he sensed someone was watching them. A ripple of surprise rushed through the Force and Ben reflectively wrapped his shields around Cal. The boy flinched but quickly caught himself and pretended to be nonchalant and nod calmly. He failed miserably and Ben wanted to chuckle. But instead he said: “I’ve heard yer kind ‘s good in climbin’?” Another nod. Ben let a harsh smirk show on his face as he leaned forward. “Then follow me.” He stood up and started walking toward the exit without a pause. He heard a creak of a chair being moved, followed by hurried footsteps behind him._

_He set the roundabout course toward his ship, deliberatively heading toward the local kind of a back alley. As soon as they walked in, Ben whirled around, grabbed Cal and pushed him behind a pile of rubble, hiding him from view. The teen squeaked but stayed in place, watching Ben press himself to the opposite wall in clear confusion. Ben pressed his finger to his lips and pointed at his ear. The sounds of flattering wings and a strange series of clicks echoed down the alley. Cal froze. Ben risked a peek outside._

_He saw a group of five from Cantina. They reminded Ben of the Geonosians. They were also Insectoids but their scales were a red hue. They had massive protruding jaws and huge round reticulated eyes. The clicking sound came from their jaws, which Ben assumed was their way of communicating. They also actively gesticulated with three-fingered pincers as they hovered in the air, their transparent wings fluttered with terrifying speed._

_Ben didn’t know if they were following them or if it was just a coincidence, but the Force pulsed with a warning, so he decided not to find out the answer. He slowly raised his hand and waved it sharply. Suddenly, something fell with a crash behind the Insectoids. As one, they all turned in the direction of the sound and froze. Then they rushed forward._

_Throwing all thoughts of discretion away, Ben grabbed Cal’s arm and started running in the opposite direction._

_Alleys intertwined with each other creating sometimes impenetrable maze. To complicate matters, they often led from one platform to another or to a different level, most often connected to each other by a flimsy bridge. But Ben trusted the Force and followed the route it led him. Cal was quiet too, just silently running slightly behind Ben. They stopped after ten minutes, a few platforms away from where Ben had left his ship._

_“Well, that was quite exciting.” Ben commented, looking around. He glanced at the silent teen, who stood frozen on his right side. Ben raised one eyebrow. “Are you feeling alright, Cal?”_

_The boy just stared at him with wide eyes and then whispered, letting Ben hear his voice for the first time: “You know my name?” Ben, who had just turned his gaze down to check his blasters, looked back up at Cal in genuine surprise._

_“Of course.” He replied, frowning a bit. “Master Tapal spoke highly of you, the last time we met.” Ben said softly, his voice filled with sadness. He saw Cal stiffen and a wave of grief coiled around him._

_“It was so long ago…” Cal murmured, dropping his unfocused gaze down on the ground. Ben took a careful step closer and put his hand on the teen’s shoulder. Cal’s head snapped up, eyes fulling with tears. Ben almost smiled bitterly at the look Cal gave him. He had seen exactly the same one for five years, every time he so much as glanced in the mirror._

_“It was not your fault, Padawan.” Ben said gently. Cal squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head a bit._

_“I- I could have- I should have-” He stuttered in a trembling voice. His breath became uneven and Ben did the only think he thought would help – he drew Cal into a tight embrace._

_The boy went easily, finally breaking down. He started crying silently into Ben’s shoulder, gripping his clothes in his fists. Ben wrapped the Force around_ _С_ _al in a practiced move as he often did with Ezra and Luke when they were upset. Cal froze for a moment then began to cry with a vengeance. Ben stroked his back and couldn’t help but wonder about what he’d been through. But the time for sharing stories had not yet come, and might never come. Ben slowly lowered them down, figuring that it most likely would take some time and they might as well get comfortable. Well, as comfortable as one might get sitting on the ground with a thirteen years old teen on top of them._

_After a few minutes, Cal calmed down, almost stopped crying and now only sobbed a little, curling closer to Ben, clearly not intending to get out of his hug any time soon. And Ben himself didn’t want to let go of this starved for human warmth and affection teen. He kept an eye on their surroundings but a lot of his attention was focused on Cal’s actions in the Force._

_The teen frolicked like a Youngling who had just sat down to meditate for the first time in their live. He radiated joy and he tried to embrace as much of the Light side as possible. This led the former Jedi to a conclusion that Cal had not been in the presence of the Light side of the Force for a long time, and therefore did not use the Force at all, most likely fearing exposure. Ben’s heart swelled with sorrow._

_But he also felt that something else was happening. Ben reached out and to his surprise found the rudiments of a new bond next to the ones he shared with Luke and Ezra. He doubted that Cal was doing it on purpose or that he even noticed it, so Ben gave him a gentle nudge and then Cal’s focus was on him, pointed him in the bond’s direction._

_There was only one word to describe the emotion which took over Cal – shock. Pure and genuine, and then came the shame and embarrassment. Cal tried to pull the bond back sharply, but Ben carefully held him back. “Don’t be so abrupt.” He whispered. “You can get seriously hurt. Why don’t you and I go to the ship and talk, what do you think?” Ben asked with a small half-smile._

_Cal gave him a tiny nod and slowly stood up, holding out his hand to Ben in an almost subconscious motion. Ben snorted, making Cal flash but accepted the help and swiftly stood up. “This way.” He nodded and started walking, Cal only a step behind._

_They reached the ship in five minutes and after making sure that no one was watching they climbed inside. Ben took the wheel and Cal took the co-pilot’s seat. The boy was shifting slightly and giving Ben sidelong glances._

_Ben sighed and turned to face him. “I believe you have some questions?” He asked with a small smile._

_Cal nodded quickly, biting his lower lip nervously. He opened his mouth a few times and then finally blurted out: “What happened to the Order? How? Why did the clones attack us? I got your message and I’ve been waiting here all this time but no one came. Did anyone else survive? How did you find me and why did you come here now? What are we going to do next? You’re not going to leave me here, are you?” He suddenly asked, staring at Ben with terrified eyes._

_Ben shook his head. “Let’s start from the end. I will take you with me, if you wish.” He assured and held out his hand to prevent Cal from speaking. “But you must consider this – I can also take you to any planet you name.” Cal shook his head ‘no’ and Ben gave him a small smile. “Well, next we shall gather your belongings and leave this planet.” He hummed, facing the control panel and switching a few toggles to start the engine. “Where to?”_

_Cal quickly explained the way they would have to take and turned his pleading eyes back to Ben. “The Force led me to you.” Ben said simply and felt so much warmth when Cal merely nodded in understanding. It’s been a long time since the will of the Force was taken seriously and without further questioning. Ben missed it. He took a deep breath. “I do not know for sure why now, but I suspect that you were in danger.” Ben stopped the ship a platform away from Cal’s place and frowned. “Remember the group what followed us?”_

_“Yes, why?” Cal asked. Ben silently pointed at the nearest pile of garbage. There were dozens of creatures that looked like the ones who chased them. They were clearly waiting for someone, swarming around the small houses nearby._

_Cal gulped, staring at the cluster of insects. “Are they here for me?” He whispered. Ben nodded grimly and carefully steered the ship away._

_“Most likely. Was there anything valuable in there?” Cal shook his head and patted his utility belt._

_“No, just some clothes and food. I learned to carry everything of value with me long ago. You never know when you'll have to run.” He whispered the last part quietly and looked down. Ben sent warmth through the Force at him and started pulling the ship up._

_“I do not know if anyone else survived but Master Yoda did.” Ben informed the boy. Cal lit up._

_“He’s alive? Where? Am I going to see him too?” He questioned eagerly. Ben chuckled, shaking his head._

_“I am afraid not. But you will meet someone new, that I can guarantee.”_

_Zealous entered the atmosphere and Ben was going to turn it toward Tatooine but hesitated as he felt a familiar pulse in the Force. He debated whatever he should get Cal to safety first or bring him along when the external communicator chimed._

_‘Unknown Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor, this is Captain Frego, Imperial forces. Your transmitter is off, respond or we will be forced to fire.’_

_Ben cursed lightly, cleared his throat and accepted the call._

_“Captain Frego, what can I do fer ya?” He asked and to his satisfaction, Ben noticed that he had a perfect Kiffu accent. He winked mischievously at Cal, signing for him, to stay silent._

_‘We are looking for a dangerous criminal, we have information that he was hiding on this planet. All ships leaving the atmosphere are checked for the presence of a criminal. Are you alone on the ship?’ The voice questioned._

_Ben gave a casual shrug. “Yeh, just me and me son, Jeet. Not much space in ‘ere. W’at criminal? They got big guns?” Ben silently started taking off his outer coat, watching the data on the control panel closely._

_The man on the other side hesitated. ‘It is a human male, about twelve or thirteen years old. Red hair, pale skin. Dressed in rigger’s work clothes. He is armed and especially dangerous.’_

_Ben whistled especially loud, passing his coat to Cal and turning back to the comm. “Blast me, a kid? Didja hear it, Jeet? W’at, he’s got a bomb or somfhin’?” He babbled, helping Cal wrap the coat around himself. It made him look smaller and younger._

_‘You don’t have to worry about that. Turn on the holo to confirm your identity and you can be free.’ Captain Frego replied._

_Ben gave Cal’s shoulder one last squeeze and let the Imperials see them. A man in a stormtrooper uniform appeared in front of Ben. His helmet tilted to the side, indicating that he was looking at Cal now._

_‘How old are you?’ His voice came through the speaker. Suddenly, Cal smiled brightly at the holo._

_“Im’ma almost ten, Mista’ Capta’n!” He exclaimed happily, beaming. “Da says he’ll get me a tooka on me life’s day!” Cal then looked at Ben with such adoring eyes that it melted his heart. Ben let out a barking lauth and ruffled Cal’s hair. The boy squeaked and batted his hand away. “Da, stop!” He cried out, crossing his arms, a huge pout on his lips._

_The Captain watched their interactions in silence. ‘I see.’ He said slowly and turned back to Ben. ‘You can be free, Mister Xiren.’_

_Ban grinned. “Thank ya, Captain. Good luck with yer criminal.” The Captain’s holo flickered out and Cal slumped down into his seat, breathing deeply. Ben smiled at him. “You did a great job.” Cal snorted, shaking his head._

_“Thank you.” Cal whispered. “How did they find me?” He wondered out loud five minutes later. Ben hummed nonchalantly._

_“I do not know. Good thing you are such a good actor.”_

_They fell silent until Cal tentatively broke the silence. “Master Kenobi?” Ben flinched in surprise but quickly relaxed and nodded at Cal, telling him to continue. “Do you know why they did it?” He whispered. “Why they suddenly attacked us?” The teen’s voice trembled. “I thought we were friends, but then Joase shoot at Master Tapal and the others did not stop him, we ran but they still shoot him, I tried to heal him but it was not enough and I lost my ‘saber and-” Cal interrupted himself with a huge hiccup, tears falling freely down his face. Ben put the ship on autopilot and looked at Cal. “I was not enough…” The boy whispered brokenly._

_He took both his hands and held them between his own. “Look at me, Padawan.” Ben murmured. Cal snuffled and hesitantly raised his eyes. “Never think you haven’t done enough. Cal, you did everything you could. The death of Master Tapal and the others is not your fault. There was nothing you could have done and beating yourself over it again and again, trying to figure out a way which could have helped to avoid it… it will not help. It only prevents you from healing. Trust me, I know what I am talking about. I’ve been in an exactly same situation.” Cal bit his lower lip, looking down. Ben squeezed his hands. “Our loved ones die, but they never leave us forever.” He spoke and Cal’s head shot up._

_“There is no death…” He whispered and Ben smiled ruefully, nodding._

_“There is the Force.” He let go of one of Cal’s hands and pressed his free hand to Cal’s heart. “And they are always in here. Watching over you.” Cal gave Ben a watery smile. After a moment Ben let him go and returned to the wheel._

_It was a longer flight this time, Ben didn’t want to be caught on the radar of the imperial ships. So he took it upon himself to avoid them. Cal fell asleep quickly, which Ben didn’t find surprising. After such an emotional storm, anyone would have blacked out._

_They had only touched the surface of Cal’s feelings, and Ben knew that wasn’t nearly enough. It helped and would be good for him but not in a long run. He would have to work with Cal to help him find his balance again. Ben glanced at the teenager, who was curled up in the seat, the coat wrapped around him like a blanket, snoring softly. A pang of nostalgia shot through Ben’s heart. Similarly, that’s how Anakin and then Ahsoka spent long flights._

_As they flew past Lahn, Ben noticed several starships on the radar and was about to go around them but realized that the Force was pulling him in the direction of one of the starships. There was something else, something familiar and dark… Ben frowned. He gently shook Cal awake, not taking his eyes from the screen. “Brace yourself,” Ben murmured, “I have a bad feeling about this.” He said and sped up._

_A moment later, Ben saw the starships with his own eyes. Two unmarked freighters seemed to be chasing an Imperial Gozanti-class cruiser. Ben and Cal exchanged a hard look. Ben reached for the communicator, but then the airlock of the Imperial ship suddenly opened and a small figure was thrown into space. Ben cursed and accelerated, trying to get there in time. Then he cursed again as all three ships began firing at them. Raising the shields, he swung the ship to the side and fired back. “I certainly did not think I’d have to do it again.” He muttered, spinning the ship away from an explosion._

_As they drew level with the person hanging in space Ben stopped the ship and closed his eyes. He reached out to the Zealous’ shields and started wrapping Force-shields snugly around them, stopping the majority of blasts from hitting them. “Cal, go get them inside.” Cal opened his mouth to protest but then another blast landed on the shield, making him jump up from the seat, racing toward the hatch. On the control panel, he pressed a few buttons and lowered the screen between the hatch and the main cabin, then opened the hatch itself. Cal closed his eyes and raised both hands in front of him. Letting his senses roam around, Cal gasped in shock, one hand flying up to cover his mouth. He recognized the force presence. He knew him._

_Cal clenched his jaw. He could not fail now! He knew his connection to the Force was damaged, he was unable to use any telekinetic techniques ever since Master Tapal’s death. But he needed to save him! Cal breathed deeply, holding his hands out in front of him and began to pull his body toward the ship. Sweat dripped from his face and his hands shook, but he didn’t stop until the hatch closed behind the person. Then he fell to his knees in exhaustion, trembling hard. His clothes were soaked with sweat and he was sure that he wouldn’t be able to use the Force at all for the next few days. “He’s here!” Cal shouted and Ben dropped the shields, reaching for the yoke again._

_A stifled groan came from behind the screen. Cal got to his shaky feet and stumbled forward, hitting the button. The screen lifted to reveal a boy lying on the floor. Cal’s eyes went wide as he took the figure in. He fell down beside Caleb, reaching for his face. “Caleb?” He murmured, patting Caleb’s face. He did not notice that he started crying. “Caleb, c’mon, wake up!” Cal grabbed his shoulders and started shaking the other boy._

_Caleb’s lashes fluttered and he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze drifting to Cal. “Wha-?” He coughed and turned on his side. Cal patted him on the back, looking for a bottle he was sure he’d seen laying around somewhere before._

_“Hold on!” Came a voice from the cockpit and the ship suddenly lurched, throwing both boys into the wall. “You two alright there?” Ben called over his shoulder._

_Cal winced, rubbing his shoulder and sat up. “We’re alive. What was that?” He yelled back. It was hard to hear each other over the noise of engine and cannon fire. The ship shook again and Cal grabbed the wall to keep himself upright._

_“The freighters blew up the Imperial cruiser. We were hit by the shock wave. It looks like they want us to follow them, we should get ready for a confrontation, just in case.” Ben replied. Cal sighed tiredly and glanced down. Caleb was still on the floor, blinking slowly at the ceiling. Cal bit his lower lip and drew Caleb’s head into his lap._

_Caleb’s gaze shifted, landing on Cal’s face. He frowned and raised his hand sluggishly, placing it on Cal’s cheek. “Feels real.” He mumbled, dropping his hand down. “Guess I died after all.” Cal laughed despite the tears which were falling from his eyes._

_“You are alive. We’re both alive.” He sobbed, bending down to rest his forehead on Caleb’s. “Master Kenobi too – he’s on the cockpit.”_

_Caleb’s eyes went wide. “Mast- He is here?” Cal nodded wordlessly and Caleb let out a shuddering breath. He pushed Cal away gently and sat up, leaning on the wall. Then he stared at Cal hungrily, like he was trying to memorize his face. “It’s really you.” Cal nodded again, hastily wiping his tears and looking down. He missed the moment when Caleb rushed forward and wrapped his arms around him tightly. But Cal clutched him back with equal force nonetheless, sobbing into his shoulder. Not that Caleb was faring any better._

_“I thought everyone was dead. I didn’t know you survived. It happened so fast. I’m sorry, I’m **so** sorry.” He cried, pulling Cal closer. Cal remained silent. He knew why Caleb was apologizing but was unable to answer him._

_They grew up together, Caleb only a year older than Cal. And despite Cal’s shyness and Caleb’s tendency to get in trouble, they quickly became best friends. They shared everything – from favorite sweets to hopes and dreams. When Caleb was chosen by Master Billaba he was beyond himself from bliss. Cal was happy for his friend, but he couldn’t help but feel left behind. And then Caleb swore that he would never do that to Cal. “I’ll call you every time we’re in comm’s range.” He assured Cal with a wide grin, his new Padawan braid dangling behind his ear. He left the next morning._

_At first, he kept his promise. They spoke almost every two weeks. They met every time Master Billaba returned to Coruscant for a Council meeting. But then the war started escalating, despite the fact that everyone was talking about its imminent end. Calls became less frequent, visits stopped altogether. And their last conversation ended in disaster._

_An eager Cal called to tell him that he was a Padawan. He only had time to greet Caleb happily, which made him snap. “Do you have any idea what’s going on here?” He shouted, glaring at Cal angrily. “How many of our man die in each battle? The account is not even in the tens and hundreds! And you rejoice in nonsense like an ingrown child! I understand that it is easy for you in the Temple where you do nothing, only hang on the necks of the Masters and our age-mates, like a burden. Do you think they'll babysit you forever? With this approach, no Master will even look in your direction.” Caleb snarled, making Cal flinch. Every word was like a blade cutting through his heart. Caleb knew all his insecurities and he hit them with precision. Cal wanted to protest, to speak up and protect himself from harsh words, but his voice got stuck somewhere in his throat. Caleb shook his head. “Call me when you’re older.” He said and ended the call._

_Cal cried himself to sleep that night and refused to tell Master Tapal about it the next morning. They were sent on a mission later that day. Seven moths later the Republic fell._

_Biting his lip, Cal burrowed himself into Caleb. “…I **was** chosen.” He whispered. Caleb stiffened but did not ask. Cal squeezed his eyes shut. “Master Tapal choose me.” Caleb swallowed hard._

_“That’s good, Red.” It was very easy for Cal to picture a watery smile on Caleb’s face. He felt a hand pat his hair in a soothing motion. “You deserved that.” Caleb murmured. Cal hiccupped, shaking his head._

_At that moment, the ship landed and the engine shut down. Ben climbed out of the seat and walked toward the hatch on shaking legs. To his surprise he found two boys wrapped in an embrace on the floor. And to his even greater surprise he recognized the second boy. “Caleb?” He asked, causing both boys to snap their heads up at him._

_Caleb Dume – Depa Billaba’s Padawan was staring at Ben with his mouth hanging open._

_“What happened to your beard?” He blurted out. Ben snorted, shaking his head a little in amusement._

_“It didn’t agree with the climate.” He joked and abruptly became serious. “We are surrounded by two freighters. I don’t know whatever they’re friendly or not. I will go first; you will stay on the ship and fly away at the first sight of trouble.” Ben ordered with a stern look._

_Cal was shaking his head in disagreement but Caleb was frowning. “Are those a red and gray KST-100 and a purely gray one?” He asked. Ben arched an eyebrow and nodded. Caleb slumped into the wall. “They are not a threat. Just my business partners.”_

_“In that case, we should tell them you’re alright before they blow up the whole ship.” Ben said, opening the hatch._

_He was met by two blasters aimed at his face. Ben tilted his head slightly in silent question. “Caleb, could you come over here?” He called out without taking his eyes off his opponents._

_The one on the right was Kalleran. Green skin with black stripes, fins on the sides and top of his face, two antennae, bare feet with three digits, just like on his hands and no nose. Ben felt nothing from him but anger._

_To the left was a familiar Devaronian. Red skin, pointed ears, short brown horns and a mechanical patch over his right eye. General Kleeve, one of the Separatists. Ben’s face remained calm, betraying nothing of his thoughts._

_There was a scuffle behind him, and soon Caleb was out of the ship, supporting the still-shaking Cal. Ben put a hand on his shoulder and scanned him briefly. What he found made him turn around sharply, pick Cal from Caleb’s arms in spite of his protests and put him on the ground. “Cal, can you hear me? Look at me.” He asked, gently shaking the boy’s shoulder. Cal opened his eyes and then closed them again, wrinkling his nose. Ben frowned. “I know you’re tired but don’t sleep yet, open your eyes, I need to check something.” He pleaded, framing Cal’s face._

_Cal whined, slowly shaking his head. “’m tired…” He whispered and blacked out. Caleb fell down on his knees next to him with an alarmed ‘Cal!’_

_The Kalleran pointed his blaster on Ben. “What the hell’s going on?” He demanded but Ben was not listening._

_He was deep in the Force, trying to hold on to Cal’s life force. His presence flickered, disappearing and reappearing. Ben had never been much of a healer, but he was doing his best. Cal was one step away from falling into a coma that Ben would be unable to get him out of, he didn’t have the skill. So he tried to follow the technique Bant had taught him a long time ago. And slowly, painfully slowly, Cal’s condition returned to normal. Ben breathed a sigh of relief as he leaned forward._

_Caleb anxiously hovered nearby, clutching Cal’s limp hand desperately. “What’s wrong with him? Is he okay?” He bombarded Ben with questions._

_Ben closed his eyes, listening. After three minutes he nodded, opening his eyes and looking at Caleb. “He is alright. But he has sustained some serious damage which should be monitored from now on.” He said, swiping his fringe away from his eyes._

_“So sorry to interrupt such a heartwarming moment,” the Kalleran drawled lazily, “but someone owes me some answers.” He ended sharply, nodding meaningfully at his blaster. Caleb shook his head._

_“It’s alright, Kasmir. They are…” He paused, looking down at Cal’s hand still held in his. Then he looked at tired Ben closely. “They are friends.” He said finally after a few moments of silence. The Kalleran, Kasmir, shifted his stance, lowering his blaster slightly but did not put it away. Kleeve followed his example._

_“Do these friends have names?” Kasmir asked mockingly. Kleeve snorted._

_“This one,” he said pointing at Ben, “is High Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Kleeve gave a derisive bow in Ben’s direction. Kasmir tilted his head, looking at Ben with interest._

_Ben offered them both a polite smile. “I’m afraid I haven’t used this name in quite some time, General Kleeve.” Caleb snorted at his side._

_“Of course.” He bit out. “And what have you been doing all this time?” He asked sharply. “I got your message. Trust the Force? A New Hope will arise?” He mimicked Ben’s voice, sneering. “How can you trust it if nothing good comes of it?” Caleb shouted, jumping onto his feet, his fists clenching. “The Force did not prevent the war from happening, it did not stop it either and it certainly did not save Master Billaba!” He yelled, stalking closer to Ben in his rage. “And none of our training helped me survive.” Celeb hissed like a loth-cat whose tail has been stepped on. “The Jedi are gone. And the Force is a joke.”_

_Ben waited patiently while Caleb ranted. Anger, wrath, guilt, and grief came in heavy waves from the teenager. He was hurting and couldn’t move forward, not on his own. But he wasn’t ready to accept help either, Ben could see that clearly. He waited for Caleb to finish his sentence. “I shall get Cal inside.” Ben murmured. Caleb faltered instantly, eyes falling down on Cal. “He shouldn’t be lying on the ground in his condition.” Ben lifted the unconscious boy into his arms and walked into his ship._

_He carefully placed Cal in the copilot’s seat and wrapped the coat around him. Ben took his time, letting the three outside talk and come to a decision. Finally, when it would have been suspicious to stay inside any longer, he stepped out of the cockpit and leaned against the hatch door._

_Caleb stood there alone, looking up at the sky and watching the red-and-gray freighter recede. He was holding a small bag in one hand, the other was clenched into a fist on his side. Ben watched him in silence. When the ship was out of sight, Caleb lowered his head with a sigh and turned around. He started slightly when he saw Ben. A determined look appeared on his face. He squared his shoulders and walked toward him._

_Caleb stopped just a few feet away from Ben. “What are you doing here?” He questioned. Ben hummed nonchalantly._

_“Here? Admiring the view.” He replied easily, smiling at the teen. Caleb, clenched his jaw._

_“That’s not what I meant.” The boy snarled. “How did you find me? How long has Cal been with you?” He asked again. But Ben heard another question, unspoken and hurt. ‘Why didn’t you come earlier?’ He closed his eyes in defeat._

_“You didn’t need me before.” He spoke softly, watching Caleb stiffen. “You are at a crossroads now, your choice will determine your fate. I am simply here to offer you an opportunity.”_

_Caleb snorted. “What opportunity? To become a Jedi? Newsflash – the Order is destroyed, there are no more Jedi.” He said with a bitter laugh. Ben shook his head and stepped closer to Caleb, laying his hand on the teen’s shoulder._

_He leaned forward a little, looking into Caleb’s eyes. “I offer you the opportunity to heal and help others heal.” A slight nod in the direction of the ship where Cal slept. “Caleb, that you went through was terrible. It’s not something that should happen to anyone, but it did. I’m not going to ask you to pretend that you’re not hurting or that you don’t feel guilty – it will only harm you. You can be angry, you can grieve, you can give up the Force and the Order and start a new life. But Caleb, don’t give up the chance to move on. She wouldn’t want it, you know that, deep down here.” Ben said tapping his hand over Caleb’s heart. “Let yourself feel it and let go of the guilt.”_

_By the end of Ben’s speech, Caleb was crying. “You don’t know what happened. It’s my fault, she stayed to protect me! And I couldn’t help her...”_

_“Caleb, you were twelve. There was no way you could hold off a whole squad of trained warriors even together with Master Billaba.” Ben opposed._

_“I let her die!” Caleb finally exploded. “She said she’d be right behind me, but she lied! I knew she was lying and I left her alone anyway! If I’d stayed, she might have had a chance.” He sobbed. “But I was scared and ran away!”_

_Ben gently took the teenager into his arms. “Depa Billaba was my friend and one of the best Masters of the Order. She was always true to the Code and to herself. And in those last moments of her life, she made her choice – she chose you, her Padawan, so that you could live and carry a part of her in you.” Caleb’s sobs quieted. “You are her legacy, no matter what you do or who you choose to be.” Ben hooked his finger under Caleb’s chin and lifted his head. “Depa is one with the Force now and she certainly doesn’t regret her decision.”_

_Caleb bursted into tears._

_Ben was almost one hundred percent sure that he heard Master Windu's laugh when Caleb and Ezra’s eyes met for the first time and a bond instantly formed between them._

***

A chill ran down Cody’s spine, making him shiver. These words... They had an ominous echo that Cody couldn’t explain. A glance to the side showed that the other clones had a similar reaction. Peel was frowning, Crys was rubbing his shoulders as if trying to keep warm, and Rex was staring blankly at the table.

Skywalker just made a face. “What’s Order 66?” He asked.

A snort came from the next room. “It is surprising to hear such a question from the executors of this order.” Someone said. Cody looked up sharply and saw a young red-haired man standing in the doorway. He was tall, dressed in brown tunic and gray trousers. There were a few scars on his face – two small ones on his jaw and over his right eyebrow and a bigger one across the bridge of his nose. His arms were crossed over his chest and he stared coldly at their group.

The other man was standing over his shoulder. He had black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He wore yellow tunic and gray trousers. His hands were in his pockets and his entire posture was tense. It was as if he was preparing for a fight.

Skywalker raised his chin challengingly. “Who are you?” The red-haired man’s gaze slid over him briefly and settled on General Kenobi. For a moment the coldness on his face was replaced by worry but the General shook his head slightly and the man relaxed. He looked back at Skywalker and calmly raised an eyebrow.

“You can call me Terra.” He nodded at another man. “This is Kanan.” Terra introduced and seemed to dismiss them immediately, speaking to General Kenobi. “The children are already asleep, the others are in the living room.” He carefully avoided looking at any clones, like it could physically hurt him. “Should we make the beds in the guest rooms?” General Kenobi nodded wordlessly and the two young men disappeared back into the room they came from.

Whirling around Skywalker stared at the General. “Obi-Wan, what the hell? Who are these two? What others? Just how many people live here?” He demanded, voice raising with each word. General Kenobi merely sighed and stood up swiftly.

“I’m sure you’re hungry,” he said, “please follow me.” He turned and headed for the room where Kanan and Terra had left. Cody and Rex looked at each other and slowly followed him.

The kitchen was small, about half the size of the room they’d been in before. To the left was a round stove, right next to the wall was a refrigeration unit and a space heater. To the right was a cabinet that took up the entire wall. There was a small square gray carpet on the floor.

In the corner to the left, Cody noticed a closed door. Most likely, all four inhabitants of this house that they had seen before had gone there. Net to it stood a sonic dishwasher.

General Kenobi was pouring stews from a pot into bowls and passing them to the clones. When everyone had a bowl, the General handed out the spoons and returned to the previous room, sitting down at the table.

He was holding a steaming cup of tea, judging by the smell. Cody silently sat down on his right hand and began to eat. Peel and Crys did the same without any problems. Skywalker hovered on the way to the table, staring in disbelief at the bowl. Rex nudged him forward and into the seat.

Dinner passed in silence, broken only by the clatter of spoons on the sides of bowls. Finally, when everyone had finished, the General took a deep breath, looking down into his empty cup.

“Order 66,” he started suddenly, “I had experienced its full power before I even knew of its existence... At one point I was chasing the remnants of the army Grievous and in the next,” General Kenobi made a cutting motion with his hand, “my Sergeant aimed a cannon at me and fired. And it wasn’t just me. Thousands of lights disappeared in a single moment. The Force screamed in agony... I felt like I was dying with them... then squads of troopers I thought I knew scoured the perimeter for confirmation of my death.”

Cody listened to the General’s haunted voice with growing horror. He couldn’t move a muscle, his ears were ringing. Cody wanted to believe that the General’s words were untrue or a there was just a big misunderstanding, but the pain in his eyes was so raw… Cody swallowed hard. _‘Trusting the wrong people’_ he said earlier. And Cody understood his meaning now.

General Kenobi rubbed a tired hand over his face. “I made it to Coruscant only to find out that my entire family had been killed. Almost no one was left. The Temple was destroyed. The surviving Jedi were declared traitors and enemies of the Empire and, therefore, subject to summary execution by the Grand Army of the Republic.” He stared into his cup blankly. “Then there were seventeen of us left. Now it’s only me and the boys.”

A heavy silence enveloped the room. Cody couldn't shake the shock. Skywalker was openly staring at the General. “Bu- but how? Rex and the 501st would never betray me!” He cried out turning to Rex and faltering upon seeing his lost expression. “Rex?” Skywalker asked, hesitantly reaching out for him. The Captain just shook his head and pulled away.

“Why did you let us in?” Peel’s soft voice rang out. He didn’t look up from the table. “If we betrayed you, if we are murderers... how did you open your doors to us, let us into the house where your children live?”

General Kenobi only smiled sadly. “Luke brought you here. If you wanted me dead, he wouldn’t have spoken to you.” He glanced at his wrist and rose from the chair. “It’s late. I’ll show you to your rooms.”

Skywalker shook his head stubbornly. “No way! Obi-Wan, you can’t drop a bomb like that and expect me to go to sleep! I have questions.” He argued.

“And you can ask them in the morning.” General Kenobi rebuked him easily, heading for the door in the corner. Beyond it was a long stone corridor lit by several setla lamps. After a few feet, the corridor branched off. The General turned left and opened the next door.

The room they were in was small and round. It had no windows and was colder than all the others. Cody guessed that this is due to the fact that it is made in the mountain. The room had three beds, a huge sofa, and a large fluffy carpet. There was a small table in the middle. General Kenobi stepped aside to let them enter. “This door leads to the bathroom.” He said, pointing at the side door which Cody had failed to notice. “You know where the kitchen is located. If you need anything, my room is right down the hall, first on the left.” And with that he stepped out of the room and closed the door.

The clones listened in silence as the sound of his footsteps receded. Crys sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. “What’s next?” He asked, staring up at Cody with a lost look. Before he could answer, the door opened. One of the men, Kanan, was standing in the doorway. He looked around the room and went inside, closing the door behind him.

“I don’t care who you are or where you come from.” He began in a low, menacing voice, moving slowly closer to Skywalker. “If you hurt Ben or anyone who lives here, you’re not going home.” Kanan hissed and stormed out of the room slamming the door shut behind him.

Skywalker looked at Rex incredulously. “Did he just give me a shovel talk?” Crys snorted loudly.

“I guess so, General. But let’s return to my previous question – what are we going to do now?”

“Sleep.” Cody replied in a tone that brooked no argument. Crys groaned but got up and dragged Peel into the bathroom. Rex silently walked to Cody and started helping him take off his armor. Skywalker glared at the door for a few moments then dropped down on one bed and pulled the covers over his head.

By the time Peel and Crys came back, Skywalker was already sleeping. Rex walked into the bathroom next, leaving Cody alone with his thoughts.

Crys fell asleep rather quickly. Peel, on the other hand, just sat on his bed, staring at his lap. Cody waved Rex off when he returned, signing that he would take the first watch. Rex gave him al too knowing look but said nothing, dropping down on the sofa. Cody was grateful for that.

He needed some time to think, to line up the reality he knew with the future he was in. Cody could not imagine a reason why he and his brothers would willingly betray the Jedi. Kriff, a couple of days ago he would have laughed in the face of anyone who even suggested it. But now... Cody groaned, hiding his face in his hands. In his mind, he saw General Kenobi’s face filled with pain.

Cody squeezed his jaw. He needed more information. The General did not tell them everything, that much was clear. Whatever it was because he didn’t trust them or just didn’t have that information, was another matter entirely. Cody closed his eyes. Maybe one of his kids would speak to them.

Tomorrow would show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More kids! Well, not really kids anymore… Kanan is seventeen here, Terra is sixteen, Luke and Ezra are five and Obi-Wan is forty-three.
> 
> I'm thinking of making a separate story with a collection of moments between Obi-Wan and his children that won’t be included here. But I do not know if I can, it all depends on my workload at university. So, I'll have to wait and see. Maybe I'll finish this story first...


	4. Four – Grogu & Din

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex and Crys face the challenges of parenthood, meet a couple of the inhabitants of the House Kenobi, and get terrifying answers to their questions.  
> Meanwhile, Ben is plagued by nightmares, PTSD, and the realization that he will always be a little too late…  
> But at least he has six sons now… That has to count, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo… Yeah… Those two. Welcome aboard! And a little surprise right before the flashback.

Cursing, Crys stumbled into the dimly lit hall. He held on to the wall for support as he slowly walked toward the kitchen. When he got there, he cursed again because he had no idea where the light switch was.

“Alright, let’s hope I don’t knock anything off.” He mumbled, stretching out his arms and taking a careful step. Slowly, he reached the conservator and pulled out a bottle of water. He opened it and took a sip, sighing in relief. “Now I get why General Skywalker hates this planet so much. It’s night, for kriff’s sake and it’s still hot as-”

“Patu?” Crys would deny it till his dying day, but he barely held back a yelp of surprise as he whirled around to face the source of this strange noise, hand automatically going for the blaster that was not there. At first, Crys did not understand what was making the sound, the hall and the room seemed empty. But then the sound was repeated and he slowly lowered his head down.

There was a silhouette in the hallway, just outside the door. It was tiny, barely fifteen inches. The silhouette also had an oddly shaped head, with protruding ears that Crys could have sworn he’d seen somewhere before. The creature tilted its head and made a chirping sound that Crys took as a question.

“Uh…” He said, stepping closer to the creature. It did not move away, only tilted its head higher, like it was trying to see Crys’ face. “Well… Hello?” He said, unsure and slowly knelt in front of the creature. It made another soft noise, as if it understood and was greeting him in return. Crys decided to think about it later. “I… know you’re probably confused.” Crys said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “Because I sure as hell am, but I guess you could help me?” He asked. The creature chirped again. Crys nodded to himself and licked his lips. “Err… right. Do you know where the light switch is?”

Before he could finish speaking, the creature raised its hand and suddenly the lights in the room were on. Crys had to close his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opened them, he could finally see his late-night visitor. What he saw left him speechless.

In front of him was a tiny green child with huge ears. They looked at Crys with interest, not at all afraid of him. The kid was wearing a familiar looking brown robe, and Crys felt a chill run down his spine as he finally realized _who_ he was looking at. “General Yoda?” He whispered, staring at the kid like they were a ghost. Of course, logically, Crys understood that it could not be General Yoda, this kid looked much younger and smaller. But still, he had no idea what their species was called or what the baby’s name was, so he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. The child didn’t look upset, just held out their hands to Chris in the galactic gesture that all children used regardless of species – up!

Numbly, he picked the kid up, settling them into the crook of his elbow. The kid sat comfortably and pointed with their three-fingered clawed hand at the refrigerator unit. Crys obediently walked over and opened it. As expected, it was full of various frozen foods, most of which Crys had never seen in his life, let alone had any idea how to cook them. He looked at all this for a few seconds, then at the kid. “So,” He said slowly. “I don’t know much about kids, but something tells me you shouldn’t eat cold food, right?” The kid chirped, looking up at Crys in anticipation. Crys swallowed hard. “Right.” He repeated. “I need help.” He decided, slammed the lid down and marched back into the guest room.

Captain Rex looked at him briefly when he entered, returning back to the holobook he was reading. A moment later his head snapped up and he stared at the kid in Crys’ hands.

“What,” he whispered dryly, “is that?” Crys glanced down at the kid and the kid glanced up at him.

“Um… A baby Yoda, I think?” He replied hesitantly, keeping his voice down, so he would not accidently wake others. He could see Commander Cody shifting on the couch in his sleep and he really did not want to wake _him_ up. The Captain gave Crys a flat look.

“I can see that.” Rex snarked. “But I cannot figure out why you have them?” Crys shrugged helplessly.

“I think this little guy is hungry but I don’t know how to cook or what I should give them.” He confessed. “Help me.”

Captain Rex raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “And what exactly do you want me to do?” Crys groaned quietly, running his free hand over his face.

“I don’t know! Anything! You babysit Skywalker and Tano, you have a lot more experience with children than I do!” Crys almost threw his hands up in frustration, but remembered in time that he was holding a kid, so he just sent Rex a pleading look instead.

The Captain sighed tiredly. “You know, I can’t even argue with that.” He stood up, walked over the couch and shook Peel awake. “Keep watch, we’ll be back soon.” Peel nodded, rubbing his eyes with a yawn. Crys and Rex walked out of the room together and went into the kitchen.

They stopped in the middle of the room and stared at each other. “What now?” Rex asked and then the kid stretched out their hand and the lid of the refrigeration unit opened and a frozen frog rose into the air from the rightmost compartment. Crys stared at the dead creature, then glanced down at the toddler, whose eyes were closed and face scrunched in concentration and took the frog out of the air.

“Sooo…” Crys said, giving the frog a dubious look. “How do we make it eatable?” Rex sighed.

“I can’t think of a single time when I would voluntarily eat a frog, so I don’t know that much about the recipes.” Rex replied sarcastically. “But I guess they won’t mind.” He said, eyeing the silent child, who was looking between him and Crys, clearly waiting for their food. They made a whistling sound and pointed at the frog.

Rex held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. How can you warm a frog?” He asked, looking around the kitchen. Crys hummed.

“We can just walk out, place it on the rock and wait.” He suggested with a shrug.

Rex snorted. “Something tells me that baby Yoda won’t want to wait that long.” He countered, slapping Crys on the shoulder and walked over to the cooking area. “Let’s start by seeing if there’s a nanowave stove here.”

As it turned out, there was a nanowave stove, so after a small but heated argument about whether you can heat a frog just like that or need a dish, they began to look for a bowl. The kid apparently thought their struggles were funny, since they only giggled when Crys asked them about the dishes.

“This is why I’m sooo glad to be assigned to General Kenobi.” Crys grumbled, rubbing his foot, on which he accidently dropped a cooking pot when he opened the high cabinet. The kid giggled again. Crys glared at them briefly. “Children are hard.”

Rex snorted, pulling a bowl out of a small chest. “Tano is not that bad. And Skywalker is usually looked after by Senator Amidala or your General.” He pointed out and frowned down at the chest. “Think it’s theirs?” He held up an oddly shaped green clay cup with a scrawled inscription in a language neither of them knew, but it had handles shaped just like the kid’s ears. And they perked up when they noticed it, so Rex took it as a confirmation. He closed the chest and stood up. “Right. Can their species drink milk?” He wondered out loud.

“Yes, they can.” Came a metallic voice from the door’s direction and for the second time during the same night Crys was caught off-guard. His only consolation was that Captain Rex hadn’t noticed the newcomer either.

Once again, Crys studied a figure in the doorway. _‘Well, at least this time there is light.’_ He thought sarcastically, running his eyes over the shiny silver helmet with a T-visor, which looked very strange in combination with the plain gray tunic with long sleeves and dark green leggings on a male teenage humanoid. He wasn’t sure if it was normal but he wasn’t surprised anymore.

The kid babbled something happily and reached out to the teen. He obediently came closer and took the kid from Crys, placing them on his shoulder, which, judging by the way the kid habitually clung to the helmet, was a common practice. Then he calmly took the bowl and cup from Rex, put the frog in the bowl, took out the bantha milk from the conservator, poured it into a mug, and put it all in the nanowave. All this he did in complete silence, never uttering a word or even acknowledging their existence.

Not knowing what else to do, Crys cleared his throat. “So, I feel incredibly awkward... Hello, my name is Crys, this is Rex.” He introduced, pointing at the Captain, who just glared at him in return. The teenager turned his helmet in their direction for a moment, looking them over.

“You can call me Mando.” He said, looking back at the nanowave. “This is Grogu.” The kid’s ears went up at the sound of their name and they patted Mando’s helmet lightly. The teen took them off his shoulder and placed them on the nearest counter. “He likes to have late-night snacks.”

So the kid was a male, Crys noted absently. “I thought all little kids were like that, no?” He asked, curious. Mando hummed.

“Oh, they’re all like that. It’s just that some are louder than others.” He replied, pulling the bowl and the cup out and giving them to Grogu, who chirped happily. He reached for the frog and staffed it into his mouth, its legs sticking out. Rex struggled to contain his laughter, while Crys snorted quietly. He caught Rex’s eyes and signed: _‘Imagine that General Yoda was like that once, too.’_ Rex chocked on his next breath and sent him a glare. Meanwhile, Grogu quickly swallowed the frog down and went to slurp his milk, looking at the adults with interest.

Rex glanced at Mando. “I’m not sure how much you know about us-”

“Ben said you were transported here from the past.” Mando interrupted him, giving Grogu a small napkin. “Six years or so, right?”

Rex nodded curtly. “That’s right. And it all was a little confusing. Can you clarify some things for us?” Never let it be said that Rex was not a diplomat. He had to be, or Skywalker would have had them killed much sooner. Mando inched his head and made a ‘go on’ motion with his hand. Rex counted it as a success. “The Empire... How far is its influence and how powerful is it? Who runs everything? What are the known weaknesses?” Rex blurted out questions as they popped into his head, as if this was another mission in the Outer Rim and he needed to gather information about the enemy before attacking. He didn’t expect to get answers to all his questions, Mando was still a teenager, and besides, he lived on Tatooine and Rex saw how tight its’ inhabitants were with information. But the teen surprised him.

“The Empire controls all planets of the Central Rim, part of the Mid Rim, and doesn’t pay much attention to us, as long as we don’t cause trouble. And if someone starts making too much noise, they send stormtroopers.” Mando paused, considering which question to address next. “The Empire controls all trade and transport routes. It’s almost impossible to slip past. Your brethren know their business.” He noted absently, and Rex and Chris stiffened at the unpleasant reminder. Rex still couldn’t believe General Kenobi’s words. The Jedi were their friends and even more, the entire 501st Legion considered Ahsoka a little sister. There was no way that after all they’d been through together, Rex would have been able to point a blaster at her in cold blood. But when General Kenobi said she was dead… Rex just knew it had to be true, the devastation in the General’s eyes was too raw, too painful to be fake.

He clenched his fist tightly, but remained silent. Mando took a jar from the shelf next to him and pulled a cookie out of it. He held it out to Grogu, who took it happily and started munching on it. Mando was quiet for a moment. “Weaknesses... Many pirates and smugglers are dissatisfied with the Empire’s policies, and will easily betray it for a couple of hundred credits. Of course, they will also easily turn on you, so better be on your guard around them.”

“Ben has a few techniques for avoiding and deceiving patrols, but most of them are designed for Force-sensitive ones, so we mostly use Bo and Ricky’s methods when needed.”

“Bo and Ricky?” Crys asked. These two names were new. Just how many people lived in this hut? Mando’s helmet tilted in his direction briefly.

“They’re bounty hunters.” He explained, as if his answer didn’t raise even more questions. To be honest, General Kenobi was known for having rather strange connections, Ohnaka alone was a massive pain in Cody’s side and then there was Dex, but bounty hunters? Crys threw Rex a helpless look. The Captain shrugged.

“The Emperor is a sole ruler. He gives orders, and the Imperial Armed Forces carry them out. There are several Generals, each responsible for their own sphere. And there’s Darth Vader and the Emperor’s Hand. The latter hunt the Force-sensitive down and most often kill them.”

Rex frowned, mulling over the information. Darth Vader? Another Sith? But why would he serve Palpatine, Sith served no one but themsel-

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Rex’s mind was short-circuited by the realization.

 _‘Skywalker won’t like it.’_ He thought hysterically. He glanced at Crys and found equally wide eyes staring back at him.

“Well,” Crys said snakingly, “That explains a _lot_.”

Mando looked between them, the tilt of his head suggested that he was confused but no questions followed. Good. Rex was not sure if he would have been able to answer.

“What about the Hand?” Crys asked, unable to think about the implications of the Chancellor being a kriffing Sith Lord any longer. Mando gave them another dubious look.

“I do not know much, only that they are a secret force of the Emperor and most of them are Force users. He sends them to deal with his enemies and the like.”

“And Darth Vader? I’ve not heard about him before.” Rex wondered. For some reason Mando stiffened.

“I cannot tell you. You better ask Ben.” Rex frowned. Something was not right. Alarm bells were ringing in his head, his intuition screaming at him to press on and get answers. But Mando did not look like he was going to tell them anything else. So Rex made a mental note to learn more about that Sith. Perhaps one of the kids has access to Net and would let them use it. Maybe Luke, he seemed nice. Speaking of kids…

“How many children does General Kenobi have?” He asked. Mando paused, cocking his head.

“That depends.” He replied after a moment.

“On what?” Crys gave him a baffled look. Rex suddenly had a feeling that Mando was having a lot of fun at their expense.

“On what kind of children you are speaking about. The biological ones, the ones that live here or the ones that he considers his own?” Rex raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Is there any difference?” Mando nodded briefly.

“If we are talking about biological ones, then none, and if we are talking about those who live here, then they will be much less in number than those who he considers his own.”

His words sounded unnecessarily complicated and did not answer the question in full, but at the same time were truthful. Just like General Kenobi would say. Rex chuckled to himself but quickly sobered.

There were so many questions he could have asked but he sensed that Mando was getting restless and Grogu was close to finishing his meal. So he picked one that had been bothering him since he saw the silver helmet.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what a Mandalorian is doing in a Jedi’s house?” He asked cautiously. The teen stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.

“I live here, as you can see.” And yes, judging by the passive-aggressive sarcastic response, he had spent a lot of time in General Kenobi’s company, but still...

“That’s not exactly what I meant, but I won’t pry.” Rex replied, taking a step back and taking a bottle of water from the counter. Crys almost forgot about it in all this commotion. Mando sighed, tipping his helmet up to look at Rex.

“Ben helped me when I had no one and nothing. He gave me shelter, food and a family. He respects my traditions and helped with some aspects when I struggled. Yes, our people have been enemies for many centuries, but not always. Besides, we’re not so different. We have the same values and beliefs; we just follow them differently.” He said, voice turning bitter. “Moreover, there are no Jedi left. Just like there are no Mandalorians.”

“Patu?” Grogu chimed in, staring at Mando with concerned eyes.

He shook his head. “It’s alright. Drink your milk.” The kid’s ears dropped a little but he obeyed.

Rex and Crys shared an anxious glance. No Mandalorians? How was this possible? From Cody, Rex knew that General Kenobi’s close friend, Satine Kryze, had been killed recently, which had knocked the General down pretty hard, even though he tried not to show it. Mandalore was under the control of Darth Maul, which of course was not the best development, but Rex did not think that the Mandalorians could be exterminated. Not all of them even lived on Mandalore, many left as the New Mandalorians began to gain power. Others were mercenaries and did not stay anywhere for long. Rex just could not imagine how it was possible to destroy a race of warriors. _‘Yeah, that’s what you thought about the Jedi. Welcome to the brave new world.’_ His brain supplied sarcastically and Rex almost scowled at himself.

Mando took the cup from Grogu and the bowl from the table, quickly rinsed them in the sink, gently placed the kid on his shoulder and walked out without another word. Grogu waved at them until the pair disappeared around the corner. Crys and Rex silently watched them go.

“Well, then. It was rather educational.” Chris concluded and Rex found himself nodding in agreement, until he continued: “Who knew that General Yoda could drink bantha milk?”

Rex just stared at him silently.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” He muttered quietly, earning himself an offended glare from Crys. Before he could answer, a horrified gasp came from the door and Rex’s head snapped in its direction.

There stood a slim figure. They had a brown headband on their head, reddish skin, two reddish lekku with three black stripes circling it, which fell below their shoulders. And they were staring at the clones in shock.

It took Rex several moments to figure out where he had seen this kid before and remember his name.

“Jek?”

***

_Something was different this time._

_Ben felt two tugs, just like with Caleb and Cal (who chose the names Kanan and Terra, respectively) but this time one felt much weaker than the other. Ben frowned. He had some time, so he was pondering about what it might mean, while getting dressed._

_“Going somewhere?” Ben turned his head toward the door to find Kanan leaning casually on it. He was looking at Ben with a raised eyebrow. “I thought we bought everything a week ago. Did Ezra spill the milk again?”_

_Ben chuckled, shaking his head. That particular incident left Kanan especially displeased, even thought it’s been weeks since it happened. “He did not. It’s not a supply run.” He replied, reaching out to take his bag. “More like a field trip, of sorts…” He trailed off, frowning. “You might have to prepare another guest room, though. If everything goes as usual.” He murmured thoughtfully._

_Kanan furrowed his brows. “A guest room? Are we expecting someone?”_

_Ben sighed, pushing his fringe out of his eyes. He was thinking about cutting his hair, but the Force was strangely insisted that it had to stay that way. “I suppose.” He finally answered, giving Kanan a side glance. The teen was still frowning at him._

_It’s been three months since Ben brought him and Terra home. They were still adjusting. And Ben was not stupid enough to deny that Ezra and Luke were a huge help._

_He smiled, remembering the way two toddlers tackled him when he came to pick them up from Raqqa. One might even think that they had not seen each other for a year, instead of just two weeks._

_“DA!” They screamed, jumping into his arms, uncaring about the bags he was carrying. Ben caught them deftly, letting out a small laugh._

_“Hello there,” He greeted, smiling. “I’ve missed you too,” He murmured, holding the boys a little tighter, feeling the tension ease out of him. He nodded gratefully at Raqqa, sighed that he would pick their things later and walked out of the cantina._

_Since it was midday and the heat was terrible, Ben took a speeder. He put the boys in the passenger seat, strapped them in, and in half an hour they were at the hut. Ben knelt in front of them and pulled the scarf from his face. He almost bursted out laughing at Luke’s horrified gasp. “Wewe’s youw beawd?” He squeaked, reaching out to touch his face. Ben allowed it, smiling a little._

_“It had to go.” He replied and sobered. “Now, before we go inside, I need to tell you something.” The boys were all ears, looking at him with all attention a pair of toddlers could master. Ben’s lips twitched in a smile. “We have guests. I’m going to introduce you soon, but please, do not bother them a lot. They need a lot of rest.” Luke was frowning. Ezra tilted his head in confusion, looking at the hut._

_“Awe dey huwt?” He asked, turning his big eyes back at Ben. Sighing, Ben nodded._

_“They are.” He confirmed. “So you’ll have to be careful, will you?” The boys nodded solemnly and Ben rose to his feet. He opened the door and ushered the boys inside._

_Cal was dozing on the sofa, his head resting on Caleb’s shoulder._

_Caleb’s gaze instantly snapped at them, shoulders tense. He relaxed a little when he realized that it was just Ben. But then he became confused as he saw Luke and Ezra peeking at them curiously. He gave Ben a questioning look._

_“You opened a day-care?” He asked warily, still not completely comfortable in the former Jedi presence. Luke frowned._

_“Wat’s day-cawe?” Caleb startled a bit at being addressed directly. He stared at Luke with wide eyes._

_“It’s then someone who is not a parent taking care of a kid is looking after them during the day.” He explained patiently, but it only served to confuse Luke further._

_“Why da needs a day-cawe?” Caleb’s eyebrows rose up, he mouthed the word ‘da’ and gawked at Ben. Luke turned to look at Ben as well. “You leavin’ again?” He asked in a high-pitched tone, panic clear in his voice and eyes. Ben hurried to calm him._

_“No, I’m not leaving.” He assured, kneeling down to Luke and Ezra’s level. “Caleb was simply surprised to see you with me.” Ezra sniffed._

_“Why?” Before Ben could answer, Ezra turned around to look at Caleb, opening his mouth to say something. But when their eyes met, they both gasped, the Force flared up and Ben had to shield the whole room, to keep them hidden._

_A few moments later, it calmed, leaving Ben with a confused Luke, awed Ezra, surprised Caleb and drowsy Cal, who woke up when Caleb jerked. He looked around the room with sleepy eyes, blinking in confusion at two toddlers and then at Ben._

_“What,” Caleb wheezed, sounding like his throat suddenly went dry, “Was that?” He asked, not tearing his eyes from Ezra, who inched closer to him._

_Ben closed his eyes, reaching out to the Force, seeking the confirmation to the thing he already knew and– there!_

_A new bond was pulsing brightly, swirling between Caleb and Ezra. Ben knew what it meant, had seen that type of bond before. But he did not know how Caleb would react._

_And yet… All eyes were on him._

_Ben smiled briefly. “It’s a Master – Padawan bond, Caleb.” The teen’s eyes widened and he stared soundlessly at Ben. “But I admit, a bond such as yours happens very rarely. In fact, I have only seen it once – between Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura.” He said, ignoring a painful clench of his heart at the mention of his dear friend._

_He fell silent. Caleb swallowed hard, finally glancing down at Ezra, who was now standing right in front of him._

_The toddler held out his hand and smiled brightly. “Hi! I’m Ezra!” Caleb shook his hand automatically._

_“Hey, kid.” He muttered, at a loss. Cal bumped his shoulder encouragingly. Caleb nodded curtly at his friend, licking his lips nervously. “My name is Ca-” He cut himself off, glancing briefly at Ben. “Kanan.” He said finally. “My name is Kanan.” Ezra beamed at him and turned his expectant gaze to Cal._

_The redhead smiled. “I’m Terra.” He introduced. “And who’s your friend there?” He asked, gesturing at Luke._

_Ben let out a sigh of relief, seeing the way the boys roped each other into a conversation, eager to know each other. Cal- Kanan even let Ezra climb on his lap, holding him stiffly, unsure how to handle him. Ezra did not seem to mind, smiling at the teens happily. Luke also came closer, asking questions rapidly. It was heartwarming._

_Shaking the memory off, Ben focused on Kanan, who was still waiting for an explanation. Ben sighed._

_“Ever since I took Luke in, the Force has been calling out to me from time to time.” He began quietly. Initially, it led me to Ezra. Then to Terra and you.” He gave Kanan a pointed look. “And now, it calls me somewhere else.”_

_Kanan looked a little stricken. “You think there’s someone else out there who’s Force-sensitive? And you’ll bring them here?” He asked. Ben paused, considering._

_“I cannot know for sure.” The former Jedi said evenly. “It feels different now.” Kanan arched an eyebrow._

_“Different how?” He questioned carefully. Ben thought for a moment, then held out a hand._

_“I can show you.” He offered. Kanan hesitated, but took his hand._

_The world dissolved around them, sounds and colors disappearing. A moment later, they were standing in front of a familiar pulsing line of light. But there was a second one woven into it, much smaller and dimmer. Ben frowned worriedly at it. Could it mean that the person it was connected to was in grave danger? If so, he needed to hurry._

_He heard Kanan’s sharp inhale and turned to look at him._

_The teen was staring at the line with wonder. He was even smiling a little, the Light welcoming and soothing him. Ben smiled as well, placing his hand on Kanan’s shoulder and squeezing lightly. “That led you to me and Terra?” He whispered, glancing at Ben._

_Ben nodded. “Not this one specifically, but yours was more even. I did not immediately realize that there were two lines.” He confessed, frowning again at the smaller line of light. Kanan followed his gaze and frowned too._

_“So why does this one look so weak?” He murmured. Ben shook his head lightly._

_“I do not know.” He answered. “But I intend to find out.”_

_The two emerged from the Force in silence. Kanan only murmured that he and Terra would take care of kids and left Ben alone._

_Ben just stood still for a moment, looking down at the thermals he had put on. He did not know why the Force insisted, but he knew it would be crucial. So he steeled himself, closed his eyes and dropped down in front of a chest he had dragged from the hangar into his room a few hours ago. He stared at the insignia on the lid, gently brushing his fingers over it._

_And then he opened the chest._

_The armor looked exactly the same as the last time he’d worn it. Scratches and scorched places, slightly faded red paint, which despite the years still held firm. Ben heaved a sigh, closing his eyes against an assault of memories._

_Satine, bright and beautiful, regal and passionate as always. She could have done so much…_

_Maul, laughing and taunting. His harsh voice, mocking Ben._

_Bo-Katan, accusing Ben of not caring enough…_

_Ignoring the ringing in his ears, Ben started strapping the armor on._

_He tried to push away the memory of the other armor, white with orange elements, that had once been dear to him as well._

_A low male voice, speaking softly and making the other person laugh._

_Warm touches, worried chastising._

_‘You’re going to collapse, if you keep that up.’_

_‘Do not worry, Threepwood, I have it under control.’_

_‘Somehow I find it hard to believe.’_

_More voices, so similar and yet each unique._

_Ben squeezed his eyes shut, leaning heavily on the wall, his breath labored. He forced himself to even out his breathing, he could not break down, not when the boys were near, he could not-_

_‘Come on, General, you can finish it in the morning.’_

_‘Oi, General! It is true that you fell into a Gundark’s nest?’_

_‘General! What the kriff are you doing here? You should be in the med bay!’_

_‘General Kenobi! I can explain! You see, we did not know that glitter would be so tricky to clean. But I promise you, the bridge will be clear by the time we land. Although, I think it makes it look a little more alive... I did not say anything!’_

_‘General, please, go to sleep, before Threepwood finds and sedates us.’_

_‘General! Does it look like a wolf to you?’_

_‘General, can you-’_

_‘General!’_

_‘Gener-’_

_“Stop,” Ben murmured, “Please, stop.” He begged someone who was not there and would never be there..._

_He was shaking, he knew it. And he was curled into a small ball on the floor. He was panting, but it was not enough, not enough-_

_A sound of laughter forced Ben away from the dark loop of his thoughts. He listened closely, grasping the sound like a drowning man._

_There were several pair of running footsteps, two lighter and one heavier, as if one of them was chasing the others._

_A child laughed again, then shrieked in delight._

_“I got you!” Terra exclaimed happily and giggles followed the sound of his voice. Luke. It was Luke._

_Ben tuned his senses, focusing only on the four bright presences in the hut._

_It helped him to calm down. He slowly stood up on unsteady legs and pushed himself up, dropping onto the bed._

_He buried his face in his hands._

_He hadn’t had an episode this intense since he took Ezra in… Of course there were nightmares and whatnot, but this… Ben shuddered, biting his lip, to ground himself in reality._

_He was alright, he was alright, he needed to finish putting his armor on, get into the damn ship and follow the Force. Someone out there needed him, he could not afford any delays now. He was almost too late to save Kanan, he could not fail again, he could not–_

_Ben heaved a shuddering breath and let out a hysterical laugh, running his hand through his hair. His gaze fell on the pieces of armor scattered on the floor. Right… he still had to put those on._

_Eventually, after almost an hour Ben was ready. All he had to do was put on the vambraces. But he couldn’t stop looking at it. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, Ben found metal paint on the shelves in the hangar and carefully painted an orange sunburst on his right vambrace. He used the Force to speed up the drying of the paint and put it on, feeling a bit lighter._

_“Woah…” Came Ezra’s awed voice. Ben glanced up to find all his boys standing next to the ladder. Luke’s face was suspiciously white and Ezra’s hair was even more ruffled than usual, but Ben let it slide, focusing on three bright green spots on Terra’s clothes and four blue ones on Kanan. He raised an eyebrow silently._

_Terra broke first. “Um… we were trying to cook a dinner?” He offered hesitantly, gesturing at Luke and Ezra, whose eyes were still on Ben’s armor._

_Ben shook his head fondly. “Just make sure to clean up after you finish.” He reminded and knelt down, letting Luke and Ezra touch his chest plate._

_Luke’s eyes were shining brightly. “Wat’s it?” He asked, patting the armor gently. Ben smiled sadly._

_“A present, from a dear friend of mine.” He said, oddly proud that his voice did not crack._

_He had a funny feeling that Terra knew who he was talking about, but shook it off, placing his hands on Ezra and Luke’s shoulders. “I do not know when I return, but until then, you will stay with Kanan and Terra. Listen to them and please don’t burn down the hut.” Luke nodded seriously. Ezra frowned._

_“Will you bwing mowe people?” He questioned eagerly, which was, well, not unfounded question. Ben inched his head._

_“Perhaps I will. Prepare the guest room, just in case, will you?”_

_“Yass!” The boys cried out, bouncing on their feet. They hugged Ben tightly and ran off, arguing which room they should prepare. Ben chuckled softly, standing up. Terra and Kanan approached him._

_Terra was frowning. “You’re not taking your ‘saber?” He asked worriedly. Ben shook his head._

_“It’s too conspicuous. The armor will attract a lot of attention without any additions.”_

_Kanan gave him a funny look. “Why put it on at all?” He wondered. “It’s not like we wore it before.” Ben sighed._

_“The Force insisted.” He explained simply. It was enough for Terra but Kanan scoffed, crossing his arms. Ben decided to talk to him later. He put his hands on their shoulders, just like he did with Ezra and Luke. “I will be back as soon as I can. Should something happen – grab the emergency bag and run.” He instructed. It might seem unnecessary, but Ben was not willing to take any risks. The teens nodded sternly, too serious for their age. Ben’s heart clenched painfully. He drew Terra into a brief hug, then opened his arms for Kanan, letting him decide if he would accept the silent offer. The teen paused, conflicted, but in the end, he stepped closer and hugged Ben tightly._

_“If you’re not back in a month, I’ll track you and drag you back.” He promised quietly, making Ben snort._

_“I’ll keep that in mind.” He murmured, letting his arms fall down._

_***_

_Ben cursed, making a sharp turn to avoid cannon fire. He was being chased by about six small assault ships and he had no idea how he managed to catch their attention._

_He just decided to follow the weaker tug, concerned that the person there did not have much time. And as he neared the planet Gamorr, he was attacked, apparently, by pirates._

_Lunging left, Ben tried to come up with a plan but could not think of anything. There were too many of them and he saw reinforces on the radar. Ben’s only hope was to make it to the planet before his ship was blown up._

_Gritting his teeth, Ben pulled the helm up, spinning the ship then made an abrupt turn down, toward the atmosphere. The pirates did not follow him, but he was still alert. He followed the Force tug, and to his horror, realized that it led him toward the smoking ruins. He swallowed around a lump in his throat, keeping his ship close to the ground._

_He stopped as close as he was able to, stumbling out of the ship._

_The Force here was heavy with loss and death. Ben could almost hear the pained screams. He looked around, searching the Force, trying to see if there was still someone alive. The Force tugged him into the ruins, gentle but impatient._

_Ben walked closer and almost fell to his knees._

_There were Mandalorians. And they all were dead._

_He was not familiar with this particular clan, but he still murmured a traditional Mandalorian tribute as he passed the bodies. Ben’s experience told him that the battle had taken place a few days ago, and he shuddered at the thought that he was late again. ‘Like with Anakin back then.’ His traitorous mind whispered. Ben focused on his surroundings._

_The ruins clearly used to be the Mandalorians’ base, Ben decided, looking around carefully. He was walking deeper inside, following the pulsing tug in his head. The Mandalorians were lying everywhere, but no sign of their enemy. It was strange. The pirates might have collected their dead already but still, why attack the Mandalorians at all?_

_Something rustled to Ben’s right and he automatically dropped to one knee; blaster pointed in the direction of the sound. Ben scanned the space – a fallen pillar, a shattered wall... nothing unusual. He was about to go on, but suddenly something moved behind the pillar. Ben froze, slowly tilting his head. The Force urged him forward, all but telling him that it was his destination. Ben carefully stepped closer and peeked behind the pillar._

_A child was curled up behind a pillar, trying to look as small as possible. Ben froze in horror as he saw blood on their clothes and hands. And only after the child gave a startled gasp, Ben’s gaze snapped on their face. Or rather, on the helmet that covered their face. Ben slowly raised his hands in the air, putting the blaster aside, trying to show that he wasn’t a threat._

_“Su cuy’gar, ad’ika.” Ben greeted softly, Mando’a rolling off his tongue effortlessly. The child’s head jerked up. Ben decided to continue. “Ner gai Ben, aliit Kenobi, laesfa Kryze. Tion gar gai?” He asked quietly, sitting down._

_The child still did not move. Ben waited patiently for them and then–_

_“Why aren’t you wearing your buy’ce?” A young voice asked. Ben smiled kindly at the kid._

_He had to think fast, given that he doubted the child would trust him if he said he wasn’t a Mandalorian. Technically, Satine adopted him into her clan, by giving him beskar’gam and teaching him Mando’a... and if you think about it, then technically, Ben **had** been following the Resol’nare... it was all such a mess. “My clan is not as traditional as yours, ad’ika. We follow The Way, but not that strictly.” Ben replied finally. The kid sniffed, inching closer._

_“I did not know there were others.” They admitted quietly. Ben’s heart clenched painfully._

_“Neither did I.” He confessed in return. “Can you tell me what happened?” He did not want to ask, the child was clearly traumatized by the attack, but Ben needed to know if they were in any immediate danger._

_The child huddled back into themselves. “Pirates.” They spoke hastily. “They came a week ago. The elders were fighting and the Armorer ordered to evacuate the ade… I did not make it in time and all ships were gone and they told me to hide.” The child fell silent. “It was three days ago. They’re all dead now, aren’t they?” Their voice was resigned, too much sadness for such a small child._

_“I’m sorry.” Ben murmured. “I’m so sorry.” The child shook their head and then threw themselves at Ben, crying. Ben clutched them close, slowly rising to his feet. He started walking back toward his ship, pressing the kid’s face into his shoulder, so that they wouldn’t see the corpses._

_“Do you have anything you want to take with you?” He asked when they were exiting the ruins. The child shook their head, staying silent. Ben nodded. “Alright. Are you hungry? I have some rations on my ship. They’re not very tasty, but still good.” The child nodded mutely._

_Ben carried them into the ship, showed there the ‘fresher was and there he stored the food._

_“I will be outside.” He said. “Call me if you need anything.”_

_Ben left the child alone with the food and looked around. During the search, he counted twelve Mandalorians. He very much hoped that the rest of the clan had escaped and the child’s family was fine. Then he would be able to find them. In the meantime, he had other things to do._

_Several hours later, the child’s voice calling his name snapped Ben out of his meditative state. He looked up dazedly, gaze lifting from the pyre he had lit up. The beskar’gam was piled carefully a few feet away from the fire. The child was approaching him slowly, head tilted toward the pyre._

_Ben held out his hand and the child grasped it hard. They both watched the flames silently._

_“Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la.” Ben murmured, loud enough that only the child heard him. “That’s all I could do. I’m afraid I do not know their names…” Ben trailed off._

_The child squeezed his hand. “It’s alright.” They said softly. “Zoerii Cogh. Jus Thols. Jena Alorgar. Car Bral. Shobrer Rovraha. Bilosa Hap. Noze Evriib. Burand Alrassih. Zaethiv Lediré. Hacha Palt. Jumilas Har. The Armorer. Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum.”_

_“Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum.” Ben echoed him._

_They watched the fire until nothing but ashes remained. Ben gently steered the child into the ship and sat them into the co-pilot seat. He knelt in front of them._

_“Is there any way I can contact your tribe? Maybe you know where they headed?” The child shook their head. Ben sighed. “Alright, it’ll just take a little more time to track them then.”_

_The child radiated confusion, clear in the Force even with their beskar buy'ce. “Why do you want to track them?”_

_It was Ben’s turn to get confused. “Don’t you want to reunite with your aliit?”_

_Suddenly, the kid lowered their head. “I don’t have an aliit.” They said quietly. “I’m a foundling.”_

_Ben let out a soft ‘Oh.’_ _He knew that some traditional clans raised their children together, like Jedi did, but he thought those clans were long gone. Ben smiled gently._

_“I am a foundling too.” He said, making the kid’s head snap up._

_“Really?” They asked in disbelief. Ben nodded._

_“Really.” He affirmed. “I do not know what happened to my buir’e, but my aliit was wonderful.” Ben said, only a hint of grief lacing his voice. Tilting his head, he asked: “You can come with me, if you’d like.” The child froze, staring at Ben. And suddenly, Ben was nervous. “I’m already raising four ade, so you’ll have company.” He rambled, racking his brain, trying to think of something to say._

_The child swallowed and hesitantly held out their hand. “Ner gai Din Djarin.” They introduced. Ben clasped their hand in a warrior greeting, nodding. “And I will go with you.” They added quietly. Ben gave them a gentle smile._

_“Would you like to be adopted as well?” He questioned, just to be sure. Din nodded jerkily. Ben let his smile bloom. “Wonderful.” He murmured and placed his forehead on Din’s. “Ni kyr’tayl gai sa’ad, Din Djarin.” Din sobbed and Ben hugged him tightly. “Welcome to the family.”_

_***_

_They left soon after adoption, the second tug became insistent, too much to ignore. While Ben steered the ship away, he tried to learn more about his new ad. His ad! Oh, Force, what was he thinking? But well, did not he do the same with Ezra and Luke? And even if they did not realize that yet, with Terra and Kanan? Well… Ben always formed attachments way too easily._

_“Say, ad’ika,” Ben started, two days had passed after their departure. “Do you have a preferred pronoun?” He asked, glancing at the silent Din._

_They perked up a bit. “He/him. You?”_

_“Same. And the other ade too.” Ben said absently. The Force around the ship was clouding, like it was getting ready for a storm. Ben did not like it at all._

_They were nearing Kintan, and while it was also in the Hutt space, something here felt worse. Ben clenched the helm and then slowly released his feelings in the Force. He had to focus._

_The tug led them toward a secluded part of the planet. From the air, Ben spotted a small building with a lot of security. Too much for it to be anything legal._

_Ben hid the ship, showed Din how to turn on the autopilot and set up coordinates for Tatooine._

_“If I’m not back by the end of the day, turn it on and don’t look back.” He instructed Din. Ben did not want to frighten the kid even more, but that needed to be said. “Tell Terra or Kanan that General Kenobi sent you. Got it?” Din nodded, tightly clutching the blanket Ben gave him. Ben hugged him briefly and was off in a blink._

_He kept close to the shadows, hiding away from the patrolling Nikto. He did not know what kind of business they were up to, but knowing the Hutts, it could be anything from smuggling to slavery. Ben slid into the shadows, pulling the Force closer to himself._

_A few well-placed Force suggestions helped him get inside. The building turned out to be a warehouse. Ben could see blasters, speeders, spare parts for ships and droids, drugs, spice. He had to stifle a burst of anger when he noticed the sloppily piled plastoid armor with markings of the Forty-first Elite Corps. Luminara’s squad... Ben forced himself to continue forward._

_Only to stop dead in his tracks. “No, it can’t be...” He muttered dumbfounded. Now that he was close, he could make out that someone was calling out to him. Someone very familiar. Ben couldn’t believe he could be here._

_Using all the tricks Quinlan had taught him, Ben slowly made his way toward the source of the call. He found himself in a small storeroom, littered with boxes and broken things. Ben could feel the horror of knowing that the child had been forced to live in such conditions slowly but surely seizing him. He pushed it aside and looked around the room once more. The call came from here, Ben felt it, heard it. But he couldn’t figure out wh-_

_Here._

_A small oval sphere, half-covered with a fishing net. Ben held out his hands, and with a soft hiss, the top part slid back, allowing to see the baby sitting in it._

_“Hello, Grogu. It’s good to see you again.” Ben said quietly, crouching down to be on Grogu’s eye level. (A habit he adopted without realizing.)_

_The green child cooed softly, happy to see a familiar face. Ben was bombarded with images and feelings and questions. He took it all in stride, taking Grogu out and into his arms. ‘It’s alright.’ He sent through the Force. ‘We’re getting out.’_

_By some miracle, they managed to get out without incident. Ben hurriedly climbed into the ship, carefully handed Grogu to Din, and took the helm, taking off quickly._

_He sighed, relieved when they were in hyperspace. He glanced to the side and found Grogu snuggled into Din’s chest, sound asleep. Din was looking at him in awe._

_“I’ve never seen someone like him.” He whispered. Ben chuckled, turned on the autopilot and turned to Din fully._

_“And I’ve only seen two others. And even though I knew them all my live, I still do not know the name of their species.” Din made a small confused noise._

_“Why? You never asked?”_

_Ben snorted. “More like the old troll had never answered.” He muttered quietly, shaking his head. Din looked down at Grogu._

_“He is so small.” He whispered._

_Ben hummed, gently rubbing the kid’s back. “He is. He’s only twenty-four.” Din gasped._

_“Twenty-four?” He repeated. Ben nodded._

_“Different species age differently. And knowing this particular species, Grogu will easily outlive us and the next few generations.”_

_Din fell silent, clearly thinking about Ben’s words. Ben let him be, closing his eyes. He was so tired…_

_-loved you!_

_I hate you!_

_Ben, no, Obi-Wan was looking down at Anakin, his former Padawan, his brother, his family._

_It was all too much._

_Too hot._

_Too cold._

_Too much hate._

_Too much love._

_He was drowning._

_He could not breathe, he could-_

**_I HATE YOU!_ **

_Ben woke up in a cold sweat and did not fall asleep until they landed on Tatooine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... Yay?  
> So I decided that Din was seven when he lost his birth parents and ten when Ben adopted him.  
> Translations  
> Mando’a:  
> Su cuy’gar, ad’ika - Hello, little one  
> Ner gai Ben, aliit Kenobi, laesfa Kryze. Tion gar gai? - My name is Ben, clan Kenobi, house Kryze. What is your name?  
> Buy’ce - Helmet  
> Beskar’gam - Armor  
> Resol’nare - Six Actions, the tenets of Mando life. They consisted of wearing armor, speaking the language, defending oneself and family, raising your children as Mandalorians, contributing to the clan's welfare, and when called upon by the Mand'alor, rallying to their cause  
> Ade - Children  
> Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la - Not gone, merely marching far away. (Tribute to a dead comrade.)  
> Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum - Daily remembrance of those passed on. "I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal"  
> Beskar - Mandalorian iron  
> Buir’e - Parents  
> Ner gai Din Djarin - My name is Din Djarin  
> Ni kyr’tayl gai sa’ad, Din Djarin - Adoption vow - lit. I know your name as my child, Din Djarin.
> 
> ...I need a nap...  
> See ya! Perhaps not here, but well... Who knows...
> 
> Update.
> 
> I forgot to mention the timeline. So, Anakin & the gang came from in between the episodes ‘The Lawless’ and ‘Sabotage’. Thus, Ahsoka is still in the Order!


End file.
